White Hot Sunset
by mishfics
Summary: The story is set about six years after the events of Breaking Dawn. Renesmee has grown up quite a bit and her feelings for Jacob have changed. She understand the situation well but is not too sure how to express them. But a little vacation will change tha
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Vacation (Renesmee's PoV)**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I don't own anything**

**A/N: I'm new to Fanfiction, so this is my first piece. Please read and review.**

I looked down at my pray. The baby elk stood no chance against my speed and strength.

I leaned in and began extracting the blood. Ugh, elk blood wasn't nearly as good as mountain loin. I wondered if mom or dad had caught any. Or if Uncle Emmet had caught a good grizzly.

When almost all the blood had been drained from the animal, I felt something warm brush against my leg. I caught the familiar, woodsy scent and smiled.

I spun around to find myself face to face (or rather nose to nose) with my russet brown wolf. _My_ werewolf. _My_ Jacob.

"Hey Jake," I laughed, patting his head.

To return the greeting, Jacob licked the side of my face.

"Ewww, Jake. Gross!" I complained, wiping the side of my face with my sleeve, "I've told how many times not to do that."

He just yelped with laughter, ducking his head to dodge my incoming nudge.

"Not funny," I said, attempting to suppress a giggle.

I stuck my tongue out at Jake and ran off in the opposite direction. I knew he'd follow me, he always does.

Thanks to my supernatural speed, I was halfway across the forest in a few seconds. Green greeted me from every side as the trees passed me at lightning speed. Birds circled above me, creating a bright rainbow. I caught scent of more elk, but I was satisfied enough not to turn in that direction.

I came to a halt and looked around.

Jake was nowhere to be seen. Strange…

Turning in a 360 degree angle, my eyes searched every acre for sign of my werewolf.

Then I caught the smell of Jake's woodsy scent, but just a tad bit too late. He sprung out from behind a tree and launched himself onto me, causing us to roll around on top of each other. Our favourite game ever since things had gotten back to normal and I was allowed out again. Mum and Dad had been pretty protective over me after the fiasco with the Volturi so I couldn't be seen in public for a while. They didn't want another misunderstanding…

But that was almost six years ago. Now I had the body of a sixteen year old, but the mind of a nineteen year old and this was due to my accelerated growth (which was due to the fact that I am a half-human and half-vampire). I had to be home schooled by Carlisle in order not to make anything look suspicious about me. Although a couple of month's time I'd be going to school, to high school.

I was both excited and scared. Excited because I'd never been to school before and I've always wanted that experience. Not just the learning part, but also to be around people. This was probably going to be the most I'd been in the "public eye".

But I was also very scared. I suppose this was because of all the books I'd been reading and movies I'd been watching of teenager's first days at high school. They always seemed to be picked on; the one no-one wants to sit next to. Of course, what with dad reading my thoughts and Uncle Jazz sensing my emotions whenever the talk of my future came about, my family (including Jake) had tried to calm me down, telling me that I was worried for nothing.

I suppose attending school on reservation was going to make this all easier. There was talk of sending me to Forks High School, but we had decided against it for several reasons. It had only been six years since most of my family had been there and it would seem rather strange to have me (Bella and Edward's daughter) start there. They could say I was a family member, but then I wouldn't have anyone who'd be able to go with me. By attending school on reservation, I'd be able to be with Jake, Quil, Embry and the rest of the pack. Of course it was Jake's idea – he hated being too far away from me. Like now.

When we were all rolled out, Jake and I lay on our backs, laughing ourselves breathless.

"We should be getting back home," I murmured softly, rubbing Jake behind his ears. He moved his head up and down as if to nod and then got into his take off position. I knew that position too well – he wanted to race me. I chuckled and took my place beside him.

"And as usual, I'm going to beat you," I said. Jake rolled his eyes. "One, two, three. GO!"

Of course I reached the edge of the forest a few seconds before Jake did, but that was he let me win. He went back into the forest to shift back into his human form.

It took him a while, but at last he came back. Jacob Black, my Jacob, walked out from behind the trees. As he came towards me, wearing just his cut jeans and that grin of his that made my own lips curve upwards, I took in everything about him. His deep set skin tone, his dark eyes, his hair – which was cropped the way I liked it. My eyes traveled down his neck, across his shoulders to his arms which supported biceps. Traveling south, my eyes noted his abdominal muscles – ooh, the ripple mounds of goodness. My Hands so desperately wanted to reach out, to touch, to feel, to…

"Ness?" Jake said, sounding unsure. Crap, he must have noticed my ogling. He looked down at himself self consciously, "is there something on me?"

"No – I mean yes. I meant I thought I saw something… Never mind," I flustered, trying to cover up. Jake grinned again and pulled me into one of his bear hugs. "I hear your mom and dad calling us. We should go."

Dad! Urgh, I'd forgotten about him. I hope he wasn't close enough to hear my thoughts about Jake earlier. I dread to think his reaction…

Jake led me up to my grandparents' house. Inside Uncle Emmet had his arms around Aunt Rose as they sat on the couch, watching T.V. Aunt Alice was crouched on the floor, her head between her hands, as though concentrating. She was probably "looking" for something in the future. Uncle Jazz was rubbing her back, as though soothing her. Was something wrong?

"No, honey, nothings wrong," answered my dad's voice. He and mum stepped out of the kitchen, smiling. "On the contrary, things are about to get more exciting.

"Oh great, it's all gone!" complained Alice. She pointed at Jake. "Oh right, that's why. Mr. Wolf is coming along." She smiled at me, "I should have seen that coming."

"You wouldn't have been able to anyway," Jake teased, kissing my forehead. A shiver of pleasure ran down my body.

"Well, the two of you better get packing," said Dad. Then looked at Alice, "Oh right. You've already picked out their clothes for each day and packed them."

Alice smirked.

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked.

"We're going on… 'vacation', Renesmee," answered Mum.

"Really? Where too?" Weird, we've never done something like this before.

"To Africa," answered Carlisle, my granddad. He and Grandma Esme were coming down the staircase. "We're going to book the tickets now. I assume you will be joining us, Jacob?"

"Yes, doc," answered Jake, as he squeezed my hand, "I'd never leave my Nessie."

I felt the heat rush up to my cheeks, causing me to blush ferociously. _His Nessie_. I liked the way he said that.

Dad cleared his throat and gave me a stern look, though it seemed as though he was suppressing a smile.

"So, is everyone going?" I asked in attempt to change my thoughts.

"Of course, shorty," grinned Emmet, "You didn't think we were going to let you guys enjoy all the cheetahs and leopards."

I frowned, "Cheetahs? Leopards? I'm guessing we're not going to Egypt to visit the vampire clan there?"

"No, honey. Carlisle wanted to pay South Africa a little visit. He has some medical business he wanted to sort out," answered Esme. "We thought we'd make a bit of a vacation out of it. At least then you and Jake will have something to tell your new friends at school."

School… Right. I gulped as the fear caused a horrible feeling in my stomach.

"Ness, you're going to be fine," said Dad soothingly, "your friends are going to love you."

"Of course they will. Otherwise they'll have to answer to me," said Jake, rubbing my back. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well I need to go and finalize things with the pack. How long do you think we'll be gone for?"

"About a month at the most," answered Mum, "Don't worry, we'll be back before September."

"Alright. I'll be back in ten minute. Don't miss me too much," teased Jake, pressing his cheek on my head.

A bear hug later, I stood and waved by the doorway as I watched him run out the house towards the forest, towards La Push. I hated moments like this.

"So, where about in South Africa are we going?" I asked as I turned around to face my family.

"Well, we'll be residing on the Easy Coast," answered Carlisle, "but for hunting we'll go up further north."

"Yeah, that's where all the good stuff is," said Emmet menacingly.

"But we'll have to be careful," warned Jazz, "Most of their wildlife is protected. We'll have to find a less conspicuous spot."

"And Jake can't be in his wolf form for most of the time," said Mum, "South Africans aren't accustomed to seeing wolves among their wildlife."

My knowledge on South Africa was minimal, so this was all news to me.

"Right, the tickets have been booked," announced Esme, as she turned to face us, "We'll be leaving in an hour."

"Come on Ness," Alice came over to me. "I can't let you go like that to the airport in that."

I looked down at my clothes. Right, going to the airport with blood stained clothes wasn't exactly normal for a human – then again I wasn't exactly a normal human either.

I let Alice drag me up the staircase, towards my slow torture…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Goodbye**

I examined myself in the full length mirror. Okay, this wasn't too bad. Alice had dressed me up in a pair of Guess jeans and a black halter neck designer top. The jeans were fine – straight cut and sat on my hips. But I wasn't too sure about the top. It was really pretty with all the sequenced patterns and the cut was great. But I felt it was a bit too revealing, especially of the back and arms.

I rushed to my closet and pulled out a black jacket which I thought would match. Yanking off the label, I threw it on me, checking the result. Much better.

I went back to my bed to put the rest of the clothes in my closet. Alice never let any of us wear the same clothes twice and had thrown a fit when she saw some of my favourite pieces I'd managed to salvage from her last raid. I laughed at the memory as I left the room with my three bags – yes, three. Alice needed three for all the clothes she'd packed for me. Before I headed down the stairs, I caught site of myself in the passage mirror. I wandered… would Jake perhaps notice me if I were to reveal more flesh? I started to remove my jacket when dad's voice said sharply, "Ness, you look fine."

Ugh. He'd seen my outfit through my thoughts, and worse still my reason was to impress Jake. That's what happens when your dad is a mind reader. A very over protective mind reader.

"Protective for a good reason, honey," dad replied to my thoughts. I could hear the smile in his voice. "Come down, we'll be leaving soon."

With one last look in the mirror, I rolled my bags down the staircase. Jake said he'd be about ten minutes with the pack. I wandered if he was back.

"No, he isn't," said dad.

Argh, I hated these kinds of conversations! I couldn't keep anything private. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I gave my dad the most annoyed, teenage look I could come up with. The others laughed at my expression, though I could tell they had no idea what we were talking about or why I looked at dad this way.

"I'm just trying to be a good dad," he smiled. "You know I only – hey. What the… oh, Bella." He sighed.

Mum winked at me, "Well Edward, you've got to give a teenage girl some privacy." She had blocked my thoughts. "You remember about seven years back…"

"Like it was yesterday," dad whispered as he wrapped his arms around Mum. The way I wished Jacob would hold me, more than just my best friend. I blushed at the thought.

"So when IS Jake getting back?" I asked.

"Well our future vanishes approximately on and a half minutes," answered Alice, "so it'll be soon."

And sure enough a while later I caught scent of Jake's woodsy smell. And just to spite my dad, I ran out the door to meet Jake. Hah, take that over protective dad!

Not one, but two werewolves came into sight. My russet-brown wolf and a sandy brown one, Seth.

They yelped in greeting when they saw me and turned back to the trees to phase.

"Jake," I smiled, walking over to greet him.

"Hey Ness," he replied with a bear hug. I inhaled my favourite woodsy scent deeply.

"Hey Seth. I haven't seen you in a while," I said as I turned to hug him.

"Yeah, you haven't been down to La Push lately," he grinned, "and what with me running patrols while Jake slacks off, there's no time to come here – hey, just kidding!"

Seth dodged one of Jake's thwacks.

"Have I been you away from your patrols, Jake?" I asked worried, "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to –"

"No you haven't," replied Jake, trying to smoothen the worried creases on my forehead with his hand. Little flames licked my skin, the shivers of pleasure came back. "My patrols are fine."

"Yeah, I was just kidding Ness," soothed Seth. "So you ready for school?"

"Uh… um… no. Not really. I'm actually a tad bit… worried."

"About what? I hope it's not about the homework, Ness, because with your brains, you'll be top of the class by the first term."

I blushed at his compliment, the way everyone says my mother once did as a human.

"Seth," greeted dad, joining us outside, "Good to see you."

"Yes, it has been a while, Hasn't it?

"Indeed," replied mum, walking out the door.

Dad got along so well with Seth – sometimes even better than he did with Jake. It often made me feel that he would want me to end up with Seth instead of Jake. Something we all knew wasn't a possibility.

Dad gave me a look. "Argh, teenagers need privacy, remember?" I screamed in my head.

"Mum, a little assistance, please?"

"Edward," she sighed.

"Uh, what am I missing?" Jake asked.

Using my gift, I sent him and Seth images of what happened earlier, though I carefully left out the parts about wanting Jake to notice me. I wouldn't want to see his reaction then.

They both laughed. Of course dad couldn't comment what with me being "mentally mute" as he once put it.

"Come on people," Alice barged out the door, followed by Jasper, Rosalie and Emmet, who all had bags. My grandparents were the last to leave. "We don't want to be late."

"Just came over to say goodbye," said Seth, "hope you have a safe trip."

"Thank you Seth," replied Carlisle smiling. "We'll see you soon."

"Yeah, a whole month away from the whining pack," joked Jacob, "Boy am I gonna enjoy this vacation."

Seth raised his eyebrow, "Oh sure. You'll miss us so much, you'll wish the month will come and go quickly."

I didn't know about Jake, but Seth was right – I know I would miss him and the rest of the pack… A lot.

"We'll be back before you know it, sweetheart," soothed dad, "And you'll enjoy the trip."

"People, seriously now, we're going to be late if we don't leave now," said Alice, "I can see it!"

"Bye Seth," I said, hugging him again.

"Bye Ness," he replied. He then turned and ran back to the forest, heading back to La Push.

"We'd run to the airport, but seeing that Alice decided one bag per person wasn't enough, we're going to have to take the cars," teased Jasper.

Thanks to my dad's vampire driving, we reached the airport in fifteen minutes. I'd never been out in the public much, so I was a tad bit scared of how the humans would react towards me. And flying on top of that was waking up that horrible feeling of fear in my tummy again.

"Relax, Renesmee," whispered dad, "it's going to be fine."

I took a deep breath and walked through the airport doors, ready for their reactions…


	3. Chapter 3

IA/N: I might redo this chapter... I think it needs working on. But enjoy!

Chapter 3: First Flight

As we walked through the sliding doors, the cold wind of the aircon hit me… like the reactions of the humans when they saw us.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at us as we walked past. I knew what they were thinking; and I didn't have to be a mind reader like dad. "Freaks". Or, at least, nine beautiful people (Jake included) surrounding some freak. I blushed as the guy bumped into one of the pillars because he was too busy staring.

"See the effect you have on people?" said Jake, "They're astound by your beauty."

"Especially that one," said Dad through gritted teeth. He sent a death stare in the direction of the boy who was now rubbing his head and ogling, while Jake's arm around me tightened. That made my cheeks burn even more.

"They're not looking at my so-called beauty," I whispered. "Either they're ogling at you or they think I'm – "

"Not a freak," cut across Dad, "And I wish that boy would control his thoughts. Human!"

"You were one too," whispered Mum.

"With raging hormones, no doubt," chuckled Emmet.

When we got to the check in counter, Dad took care of us with his charm and dazzling smile. It was actually amusing to see the human girls' reactions towards him. At first, they were completely taken aback by him. Then slowly they regained their self-confidence and started flirting with him. The cheek! I looked at Mum to see her expression. She was smiling, probably amused as I was. I wondered if she was like that when she first saw Dad.

"Your mum was different," answered Dad, "and that's what made her even more special."

I looked back to the ladies behind the desk. One of them was looking at Jake. An unfamiliar emotion started to take over me, churning in my stomach driving away the fear, a feeling that was fueling an adrenaline rush in me. One to attack.

"Edward," Jasper said urgently, as he put a restraining hand on me. "Renesmee, relax. She is just a human."

This feeling confused me. It wasn't something I'd ever experienced. So sudden, yet so powerful and wanting to cause so much damage… I shuddered at the picture that came to mind.

"That's called jealousy, Ness," murmured Dad, as we walked away. "A powerful emotion yes, but you're going to have to control it."

Of course that wasn't a problem with Uncle Jazz around.

"And you don't have to worry about Jacob," reassured Dad, "He only sees one person right now."

I trusted Dad; after all he IS a mind reader.

***

"This is your Captain Davis speaking. Welcome aboard our airlines. Our destination is South Africa. We will be landing at O. International Airport in Johannesburg in twelve hours. We hope you enjoy your flight with us. Please take this time to read the safety manual that is located in the seat in front of you."

We were all seated in the plane, buckled and ready for take-off. Of course, _we_ didn't need to be buckled, but Grandpa had suggested that we need to behave more human – like and that the flight attendants would tell us to put it on anyway.

I took the captain's advice, being as rule obliging as I am, and snatched the safety manual out of the seat pocket in front of me… only to be laughed at by Uncle Emmet.

"You honestly think that you're going to get much out of that?" he asked.

"Oh, just leave her," said Aunt Rose, "you know she likes to be informed, the intelligent girl that she is." She smiled at me.

"Aw look, you've set her cheeks on fire again," Emmet chuckled as I blushed.

I looked back at Jake who, sitting next to me, was grinning.

"Excited?" he asked.

"You bet," I grinned back.

The airplane was starting to roll backwards on its wheels and then started to pick up speed as it reached the runway. I looked out the window and all that met my eye was the green grass on either side. I leaned back into my seat, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins as the plane took off. It was the kind of feeling that makes everything in your stomach feel as thought it's disappeared. Almost as thrilling as cliff-diving with Jacob.

The exhaustion of this morning's hunting trip caught up with me, took over me and, as I lay my head against Jake's shoulder, led me to dreamland…

_As we lay on the scorching sea sand, we stared out at the sea. The sun burned brightly as it sunk out of sight, saying its final goodbyes. What Carlisle had said was true, Africa was beautiful. Every aspect of it; the sky, the sea, its landscape, the people._

_But not as beautiful as the person I was sharing this moment with._

_Jake's skin burnt under mine, the little flames licking my shoulder, burning its way down my body. His eyes met mine, reading the same expression as I felt. The heat of Africa had had an effect on my feelings as passion and desire over-took me. I had waited too long for a moment like this, and it seemed as though Jake mirrored my feelings._

_His fingers lightly trailed its way up my arm, across my shoulder and collar bone leaving a trail of fire. It continued and stopped under my chin, where it tightened under my jaw. He leaned forward, closing the space between us…_

I woke up with a sudden jolt. The plane was jerking violently, left to right. I looked up at Jake. He was snoring; blissfully unaware of what was happening.

"Jacob! Wake up," Mum yelled above the humans' worried tones. "Change in plan."

"This is your captain speaking. Do to bad weather; we're going to have to make an emergency landing now. We are currently in Botswana so please-"

"Come on, you two," Alice said, dragging me out of my seat, "We need to move if we're going to make this."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "According to the safety manual, we're supposed to sit down in our seats during –"

"Well, we're not staying for the emergency landing, now are we?" replied Jasper, swiftly removing our luggage out the top compartment. "Emmet, Edward and Carlisle will meet us on the ground."

I was appalled. "We're going to jump?"

"Come Ness," urged Jake, his arm protectively around me.

We had to move quickly in order for the humans in the other classes not notice our departure. And with all the flight attendants sitting in their section, it cleared our way.

Again, I was scared. But as Jacob held my hand, as we got ready to jump out the plane, I felt the fear being extinguished, the adrenaline now fuelling another feeling.

"Think of it as cliff diving…"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

I took a deep breath, gripped Jake's scorching hand tighter and jumped.

Adrenalin is more powerful than I thought. It's the sort of feeling that drives away every other emotion, like fire burning and destroying everything in its path. I didn't know what I feel as I dropped from the plane. It felt as though my body was falling down, but my insides were moving up in me. By far, this was way more thrilling than Cliff Diving.

We were further above the ground than I expected. The vicious cold wind blew through my hair and bit at my exposed skin.

"I'm going to let go of you," yelled Jake, his warm hand still burning mine.

"Why?" I yelled back, terrified. As thrilling as this was, he could NOT leave me. Not now. What if something happened?

"I'm heavier than you are," he replied, his fingers starting to loosen from my tight grip. "If I land before you do, I'll be able to catch you reach the ground."

"But-" I started to protest, but it was too late.

Jake let go of me and dropped like a stone, way faster than I did.

"JAKE!" I tried to scream, but my voice was drowned by the howling wind. The air rushed in a filled my lungs, leaving my throat dry.

_Please don't let me die please don't let me die…_

Land was getting nearer and nearer. I could see three snow white figures, which stood out quite brightly in the dark of the night, on the ground; Carlisle, Emmet and Dad. But where was Jake?

He couldn't have hurt himself or anything… could he?

"He is right here," yelled Dad, his voice urgent. "He is going to catch you."

"Yeah," replied Jacob. The sound of his voice sent a wave of relief through my body. "Umm… Just, uh, stay where you are," he added.

"Well, duh. Where else is she supposed to go?" asked Emmet amused.

I heard a huge banging noise, almost like thunder, like another round of Cullen baseball.

Four more white figures appeared on the ground; Mum, Rose, Alice and Jasper had _gracefully_ landed. I wish I was as perfect as them. As perfect as my vampire family and my Jake. My Jake, who almost kissed me on the beach, in Africa. I closed my eyes and let my dream take over my thoughts…

Suddenly all the cold air was gone and my body felt hot. Little flame licked my skin where the wind had just been biting. It took me a while to realize I had just reached the ground, now safely in Jake's arms.

"She is a bit disorientated," murmured dad's voice, "but otherwise she is fine."

"It's alright sweetie," said mum, her cold hand rubbing my arm.

"You think we will be able to leave soon?" asked Jasper, "If we run…"

"Nessie is drained out," cut across Jacob, "I don't think she will be able to run any further this evening. We're going to have find somewhere to rest. For the evening at least."

Leave? Leave where? What on earth where they talking about?

"We're still in Botswana, Ness," answered Dad, "We need to get to South Africa this evening. But if you're not feeling well, we can do it early tomorrow mor-"

"I'm fine Dad," I said, getting out of Jake's arms, using his broad shoulders to steady me. "If we need to leave this evening, we will leave this evening."

I didn't want to cause any unnecessary delays.

"You're not causing and unnecessary delays, honey," replied Dad. "If you're not feeling up to-"

"I'm fine," I repeated.

"She is awake enough," said Uncle Jasper, "And Jacob too. I think we will make it."

I looked around to see where the others were. Rose and Emmet were looking for something in one of the bags; my grandparents were talking to each other, but a bit too low for me to hear and Alice a bit away from us, her face scrunched up in concentration again. Searching for our future, no doubt.

I looked back at Jake who had his eyes on me the whole time, filled with concern.

"Are you sure you're ready to run?" he asked.

Instead of saying anything, I sent him an image in response. It was of our little race earlier in the day. Then I sent him an image of him snoring on the couch a few days ago.

"I think you're the one who needs the sleep," I teased, "you're just scared I'll beat you again if we race."

"You're on," he shot back, my favourite wolfish grin creeping back onto his face.

I grinned back and gave him a reassuring hug. He returned it with a bear hug. I loved the feel of his strong arms around me, more now than before. He was my save harbour, my protector, my Jacob. I thought back to my dream on the plane…

"Well, if you're ready to leave," interrupted Dad, "then we'd better get going."

I shot Dad an annoyed look. Honestly, it was just a dream!

"I'll be back now," whispered Jake in my ear as he let go of me. A shiver ran down my spine as his breath tickled my skin.

Jasper smiled at me when Jake left, knowing my current feeling. Urgh, it's definitely not a good thing to have emotion feeling uncle around when you're a teenager with raging hormones.

"Hey Edward," called Emmet, "Think fast!" He tossed two bags in our direction. "You too, Jazz." More bags came our way. "Your wife's fault we've got this extra baggage," he chuckled.

"Well, I can't see much," sighed Alice, ignoring Emmet's comment, "But it looks like we'll be reaching the border in an hour and a half at the most. And we will be travelling-"

"South, yes," said Carlisle. "So just follow us. We'll be in front to make sure everyone reaches the right area of the border. We'll be heading towards the Limpopo border, so we'll have to turn east at some stage."

"But… What if we get lost?" I asked. Okay, it was a stupid question, I know, but what if I lost sight of them? Or if I started to run too slow? The rest of my family was faster than me, even Jacob.

Emmet and Jasper hooted with laughter. Aunt Rose whacked them both across the head, whilst Alice chuckled. Dad, Mum and my grandparents looked at me with concern.

"You won't get lost," soothed Mum.

"Ness, if you're not up to this," repeated Dad, "if you don't feel awake enough…"

I'm fine Dad.

"Just use your senses, Renesmee," advised Esme. "You will be able to find us if you get lost – which I highly doubt you will."

Right, I'm a half human half vampire, remember? These stupid teenage, human hormones were interfering with my feelings and thinking. I was being stupid. Argh.

"Yes, Jasper, that seems to be the case," said Dad arbitrarily.

Jasper nodded, not saying anything. A bark interrupted the awkward silence; Jake had come back.

"Jacob wants to know if we're going to leave or not?" translated Dad. "Yes, we are. Ness was just concerned about something."

Jake walked over to me and licked me chin to forehead. He then yelped with laughter as I wiped my face and got into the "race" position. The rest of my family laughed as they got into a line beside Jake.

I took mine on the other side of him.

"Three… Two… One… Half… one quarter…-"

"Stop getting technical! Let's go already!" argued Emmet.

"GO!"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: My apologies for the DELAYED update. Blame modern day technology! I don't own anything; all characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

Chapter Five: Reflections

All ten of us took off through the night, leaving a trail of dust behind us.

Carlisle, Esme and Emmet ran a bit faster than us; so as to lead us in the right direction. Mum could have easily overtaken all of them, seeing that she was the "youngest" vampire, but she and dad stayed close to Jake and me.

Jake yelped and turned his head towards me, as if to say "You call this a race?". That tease awoke my competitive spirit and I started to pick up speed as we ran. He, of course, had no problem keeping up.

Hormones are so powerful that they make you forget about everything else. They tend to fuel one emotion at a time; be it rage, love or even fear. Dad and Jasper say I fell them very strongly because I'm half human – half vampire. I experience all human emotions – like jealousy earlier – but they are powerful because of my being part vampire. And now it's much worse due to my accelerated growth. Hormones have kicked in big time and Dad tends to keep a close check on my thoughts – probably because of Jake and the imprinting.

When I was born, the first thing I'd seen was my mother's face. A fragile little human, she was. Her face had exhaustion etched all over it. And even though I was just a new born, I remember the pain and guilt I felt, to realize it was me who had caused her that pain. I'd never quite forgiven myself for doing that to her. I felt even worse when I'd bitten her by mistake. I'd make it all up to her again one day, I promise.

Aunt Rose had taken me out of the room to the lounge. I heard another set of footsteps follow and another beating heart. And being as curious as babies are, I looked around to find the source. And that was when I saw him.

Jacob had been looking at me, his eyes filled with hatred, heartbreak and destruction. He looked ready for a fight.

But when we made eye contact, it all disappeared. There was an instant connection between us; one that leaves you speechless. Nothing else in the world mattered, just that one person. He glowed.

The connection was strong that it literally pulled us closer together. Jake started walking towards us, his footsteps much softer, his movements cautious yet determined. He asked Aunt Rose to let him hold me. I was more than willing to stretch up and allow Jake to take me, but, of course, Aunt Rose had refused. They got into an argument and I could see Jake's body begin to tremble. I sensed some kind of danger, so I did the only thing I was capable of doing at the time.

I reached out and touched both Jake and Aunt Rose's faces, sending them images of their arguing, trying to tell them to stop and that I wanted Jake to hold me. That shut them both up.

Naturally Aunt Rose couldn't deny me what I wanted, so handed me over to Jake. He seemed very stunned, probably because of my gift, but Jake held out his arms, his eyes never leaving mine. Once I was in his arms, I pressed my face against his chest, inhaling his scent – so I'd be able to identify him. Ah, the woodsy smell was mouth watering… so I bit him.

Mmm… he tasted good. I looked up to see Jake's expression – uh oh, what if I hurt him the way I hurt mum?

But he just chuckled at my reaction. I looked down to where I had bitten him, expecting to see teeth marks. But there was absolutely nothing, not even a scratch. My eyes met his again and he laughed "Rensemee" in my ear. From that day on, he was always near, to be there when I needed him. My Jacob.

The howling winds were dying down to a gentle breeze. We were now running on open land so it was easy to spot everyone. Jake was right next to me, while Mum and Dad had decided it was safe to run a bit ahead of us. That was a good thing, because I was trying to make sense of something that had been troubling me for a while; Jake's imprinting. And I don't think Dad would appreciate seeing his daughter's thoughts revolve around a boy like _that._

I found out about Jake's imprinting a while back, about two years after I was born. I had walked in on Jake, Embry and Quil talking at La Push about Imprinting. I was trying to sneak up on Jake, just being playful, when I heard my name in the conversation.

_"Quil, you've got Claire and Jake's got Renesemee," said Embry, "When am I going to finally imprint?"_

_"When the right one comes," soothed Jake._

_"Yeah, and maybe it's worth the wait," said Quil, "Then you won't have to wait I like have to with Claire, not that I mind. Jake has it easy, what with Nessie's growth. In a few years she'll be yours."_

_What does he mean? And what's "imprint"?_

_"Jake, what is imprinting like?" asked Embry. "How did you know that that was imprinting. That you had finally found her?"_

_"Embry, how many times have I told you this?" _

_"Just please tell me again. So I know when I do imprint."_

_"You forget everything else. The only thing you see and hear is her," said Quil._

_"And you don't tremble, you glow."_

_Glow? Like when I first saw Jake?_

_I tried to get a bit closer to hear, but had forgotten to be quiet about it. Of course Jake had realized it was me, hiding behind the door eavesdropping, and later he had asked me what exactly I'd heard. That's when I asked him._

_"Jake, what's 'imprinting'?"_

_He was silent. I reached out and touched his face, sending him images of the conversation._

_"I… I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you right now, Ness," said Jake worried._

_"Why?" _

_"I'll have to speak to your parents first," he replied._

_So, when we went home, I ran straight to Mum and Dad and, without saying a word, I sent them images of my eavesdropping. _

_"Mum. Dad. What's imprinting?" I asked._

_Dad looked straight at Jake. "How much does she know?"_

_"Whatever she overheard, but that's it. I didn't tell her anything."_

_"He said he had to ask you first," I pitched in. "Please tell me."_

_And I put on my sweetest puppy dog face I could come up with._

_"Alright," sighed Dad, "we knew this day would come – but not this soon. Jake, this is your thing to tell. Would you like us to leave the room?"_

_Whether they did or not, I didn't care. All my attention was on Jake. He told me that imprinting was when a werewolf found their soul mate, the one they're meant to be with. He told me that the werewolf would become anything their imprint needed – be it best friend, brother or lover. He would be their protector. Jake described to me the feeling of imprinting. It reminded me of the first time we'd seen each other, and how we had connected instantaneously. He had been avoiding the part I'd wanted to know, so I asked him_

_"Jake, who did you imprint on?_

_I held my breath._

_"You, Rensemee, I imprinted on you. But you need to understand something, right now I'm what you need; your best friend. I don't have a choice, but you do. You mustn't feel obliged to do something you don't want to do." _

_He looked a bit pained when he said that. So, to break the tension, I asked, "Jake, you said that the wolf would become anything their imprint needed, right?"_

_"Yes," he answered unsurely._

_"So, Jake, would you be my best friend?" I asked, smiling._

_The corners of his lips turned up, forming my favourite grin. "Of course, Ms Cullen."_

I was ecstatic when I found out that Jake had imprinted on me, but I tried to hide it. Of course it made me more possessive of him.

There was only one problem now. I now thought of Jake as more than a friend, and I wanted to take it to the next step. But I wasn't sure how Jake felt about it. I mean, what if he "got over" me over the past few years and only thought of me as a friend?

"Renesemee Carlie Cullen, what did I tell you earlier?" murmured Dad, low enough for just my ears. "He only has eyes for one person. And don't doubt the power of imprinting."

I smiled, being comforted by that thought. Maybe I should actually speak to Jake about how I felt now, about how my "needs" have changed.

"And you can speak about you 'needs' later," said Dad in a stern voice, though he was smiling. "Right now though, we need to get across this border without needing to get into too much trouble. We've reached the border now."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I'm not Stephenie Meyer

**A/N:** Okay, I know, I know. This Chapter is WAAAAY over due! But once again my pc is having a mind of its own (I suspect its pmsing...) Anyway, this Chapter is slightly longer than the last one (but not as long as I hoped it would be. But still, enjoy =) And I'd like to wish Emma Watson a Happy Birthday (for the 15th of April) and I'd like to say I'm sooooo happy that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is showing two days earlier than originally! Whoot!

Right, back to Twilight...

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**Chapter 6: Across the Boarder**

We slowed down to a walk when we saw the border gates a few meters ahead of us.

"Jacob." Dad addressed him, "I think you'd better phase back in order to get over here. It'll be difficult in you wolf form."

Jacob nodded and treated back to a thicket of trees we'd just passed, but my attention was on the fence.

"We're going to climb over that?" I asked.

"Yes," replied Granddad.

"But…but what about the main gates?" I queried, "Don't we have to get our passports signed and stamped?"

"Oh, we've already seen to that," answered Aunt Alice, rummaging through one of the suitcases. When she found what she was looking for, she tossed the lot at us – one to each of us. They were our passports.

I opened my unused one to find several stamps and signatures on the one page.

Of course Max must have done these for us – he would do ANYTHING for us.

"Oh, and we need to get rid of these ones," she added, pulling out another stack of passports. She put them on the ground in a pile and pulled out a lighter which she used to set the pile alight. It looked like a little bonfire as the flames licked the paper and melted the plastic. The heat from the fire was challenged by heat coming from behind me.

Jake had returned from the thicket and had just caught his passport which Uncle Jasper had thrown at him.

We both watched as the mini bonfire died out – from all the crackling and hissing to a few pops, from flames to ash, smoke to thin wisps. We were distracted thanks to Uncle Emmet, who was already on the other side of the fence, waving impatiently at us.

"Yes, it's a fire. Oooh," he ooh-ed sarcastically, "Yes, it does tend to burn things it comes across. Aaaah." He sounded like one of those silly children on those dreadful cartoons Mum and Dad used to make me watch when I was a few months old.

I heard Dad chuckle under his breath.

"Well, don't just there! Toss some of those-"

Uncle Jazz and Aunt Rose acted simultaneously to satisfy (or shut up) Uncle Emmet by tossing all the bags over the fence. He, of course, caught them all without any difficulty.

Uncle Jasper and Aunt Rose were the next over the border, climbing at lightning speed – they reminded me of the way spiders moved.). Aunt Alice followed them, landing perfectly in Jasper's waiting arms. Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme left us and climbed over.

Mum, Dad and Jacob looked at me with concern… CONCERN?! What the hell? This was just climbing over the fence and I'd done stuff like this before! And if I could jump out a plane, then climbing over a border fence was a walk in the park.

I gave my parents a disapproving look and grinned at Jake.

"Race you to the other side."

He returned the grin, "One…"

"Two…"

"Three! Go!"

Of course our race lasted about three seconds with our speed. After a bit of a disagreement as to who came first, Aunt Alice concluded, "It was a tie."

"Don't worry," I said to Jake, "I'll win the next one."

"Sure, sure," he replied.

"So, which direction will we be travelling in now?" asked Grandma Esme.

"Well, we're Limpopo right now," said Uncle Jasper. Limpopo? "So we should carry down South."

"Okay," said Emmet, "Let's go." And he dashed off into the distance with a few bags. Aunt Rose threw me a smile and dashed off after him.

"Let's _not_ race now," I murmured to Jake. I could feel the exhaustion starting to take over my body. Too much racing was not good for me…

'Ah, too scared I'll beat you?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him as if to say "yeah, right" and dashed off in Uncle Emmet's direction. I could hear Jake chuckle and transform so he could catch up. I ran alongside Alice as I waited for him to return.

"When do you think we'll reach the hotel" I asked her.

"In about n hour at the most," she replied.

'Oh, goody," I sighed. I wanted to get to bed soon. All this running was wearing me out.

"You're going to love this place," Aunt Alice carried on, "It's right by the beach and the weather is warm. Perfect for swimming."

"The sea?" I asked, "Wait, what about the sunlight? Won't we sparkle here?"

"Yes," she replied, "but we'll stay indoors during those sunny days. We'll go to the beach at night or early in the morning before sunrise."

"And the best times to go will be when there's really stormy weather," added Uncle Jasper.

"Yeah, surfing those waves are gonna be awesome!" called Uncle Emmet."And the best part is that there won't be any life guards around to tell us what to do!"

A bark in agreement came from behind me. Jake had finally caught up.

"Finally," I teased, "I thought you were never going to make it."

He barked in disagreement and nudged my leg softly with his nose.

About five minutes later we could see light ahead of us, but we stuck in the shadows of the trees keeping up our speed. We didn't want people seeing us now, running at abnormal speeds.

Then finally, forty-five minutes later, we made it to our destination; The Durban Spa Hotel, in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa – as Dad had mentioned along the way. He also said that we'd just been in two different countries and three different provinces in the one. Provinces in South Africa are like our states back in America.

Jake had transformed back into his human form before we reached the beach, before he could be seen as a wolf.

When we got to the beach, the smell of salt and the sea draft hit us, the wind playing with my hair. The sound of the crashing waves on the shore filled my ears, calming me the same way the La Push waves do. Maybe the waves were a bit too calming at the moment, as they made me feel sleepier.

"Hey, wait till we get to the hotel room before you crash," teased Uncle Emmet as Jake supported me when I almost fell over.

And finally after check in and some explanation as to why we checked in at an ungodly hour, I walked into our chalet, dropped whatever I was holding on the floor and plopped on the bed. The last thing I heard was my Uncles' chuckling and my mum closing the door…

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**A/N: **Please review! Thanks =)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie. Anything you recognise, belongs to her. Anything you don't is mine.**

**A/N: Well, I FINALLY got to type this out. Sorry it took so long, but I've been so busy... with school yes, but (sheepish) also reading a tad too many James and Lily fanfictions - which set me into another round of Post Potter Depression. Well, I've decided I'll be doing another fanfic when I'm done with this one - about James and Lily! But, back to Twilight, here is the next chapter of WHSS. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 7: First Day Plans**

_I lay on my back and closed my eyes. It felt as though I was floating on air. I could vaguely hear voices, laughing and happy, birds chirping merrily as they flew above in the sky and the sound of splashing water. Opening my eyes slowly, I came face to face (or rather, eye to eye) with the sun. To mortals' eyes, it would have hurt but to mine it was completely different. I could see each ray of light coming from the sun. I noted how they each came down to earth and onto my skin, causing it to sparkle. Like thousands of diamonds embedded in my skin, reflecting the sun's beams. And it was only when I noticed my skin that I noticed my surroundings…_

_I was floating on water._

_I was in the sea – or rather __ON__ the sea – and was nowhere near the shoreline. I just floated on top of the water, not sinking nor moving._

_I looked around for some sign of anyone I knew – or ANYONE for that matter. To my relief, I saw Jake swimming in my direction – of course he leaves me if he could. He was smiling at me, his eyes twinkling._

_He kept moving towards me, his eyes never leaving mine… until he looked behind me. And the twinkling was gone, replaced by fear._

_"Nessie," he yelled, "swim over here! Now! We need to get out!"_

_I looked behind me and was gob smacked with horror. A wave, a bloody massive wave, had somehow started building up behind me, ready to crash down!_

_"Jake!" I tried to yell, but the water had begun to fall, the sound so deafening. _

_The water splashed on my face and in my mouth-_

I opened my eyes and coughed till all the water was out my mouth and throat.

"Emmet!" A few voices shouted at once.

"What?" came his reply, "At least she is awake now. See? Told you it would work."

He shut up when he saw the glare Aunt Rose gave him. Next to them, stood Mum and Dad who were both looking at me.

"Nightmare, Ness?" asked Dad.

"T'was turning into one," I yawned, "What time is it?"

"About 5:55am," answered Aunt Rose.

"Oh, how long ago did we get here? How long have I been sleeping?"

"Well… we got here on Saturday night and seeing that it is Monday…"

My eyes widened in disbelief.

"…I'd say you've been out for a day and a half."

"So long? Holy crow, I must have been really tired."

"Yeah, if it wasn't for the snoring, we'd have thought you were dead," chuckled Uncle Emmet.

"I do NOT snore," I replied indignantly. "Anyway, is Jake up yet?"

"Not yet…" said Uncle Emmet, "You know I can fetch another glass of water…"

He wiggled his eye brows mischievously.

"Nah, I think I can handle this one myself, thanks," I replied and climbed out of bed. I came to a halt when I reached the doorway.

"Er… which direction is his room?"

Mum laughed, "The room right the end. On your left."

"Right, thanks." And I dashed out the door till I got to the door at the end of the passageway. I turned the doorknob as softly as I could and tiptoed inside.

It was dark in the room, but it wasn't difficult to point out the snoring figure on the bed in the middle.

I creeped over to where Jake lay and sat beside him, observing his still body. My weight, which sagged the bed as I sat, didn't even wake him up.

His chest moved up and down as he breathed, in synch with his pulse rate. As much as I wanted him to be awake, to grin at me and to be enchanted by his dark, mysterious eyes, I didn't want to wake him and spoil this sight.

When Jacob slept, innocence took over, erasing the hints of mischief that seemed practically etched into every part of his body. The stillness, besides his chest, of his body made me want to reach out and feel the softness of his skin, run my fingers along his strong, taught muscles, feel his heat burn my skin.

I glanced over at the clock on the pedestal, desperately trying to fight off the urge to touch him. 6am? Urgh, maybe if I woke him up then these urges would go away.

SO I sat on top of him (first thing I could think of) and leaned towards him, whispering, "Jake? Jacob… wake up, please."

But I was too close and the urges acted through my fingers and I reached out and touched his nose. I ran my fingers down to his lips –

I squealed.

Jake had jerked his head a bit, in attempt to bite my fingers. He chuckled at my expression and opened his eyes. I threw him an annoyed look.

"Hey Ness," he whispered, his hands reaching out for mine.

"Humph, maybe I should have brought Emmet and the water," I mumbled. "Not so innocent now, hey." I chuckled at his confused expression.

His hands found mine and started playing with my fingers.

"What time is it?" he yawned.

"About 6 am," I shrugged.

"Only? It feels as though I've been asleep for more than a few hours…"

"That's because you've probably been sleeping for more than a day," I chuckled. "It's Monday, sleepyhead!"

"Monday already?" His eyes widened. "Holy crow, that was long. No wonder I'm so hungry." His tummy growled in agreement. "Breakfast?"

"Yup," I replied. I jumped off Jake and onto the floor.

When we got to the kitchen, we were greeted by the smell of pancakes and eggs. My mouth watered at the scent.

"Morning, sweetheart," greeted Esme, "Morning Jake."

"Morning," we yawned.

"Hope you're hungry," she smiled, "Made your favourite."

"Eggs!" One of my favourite human foods!

"And pancakes," added Jake with satisfaction. "Thanks Esme."

"It's a pleasure," she smiled. "Now tuck in."

After about half an hour of stuffing our faces (hey, sleeping for one and a half days deprives you of four and a half meals!), we went to the lounge, where the rest of the family were discussing the days plans.

"Definitely not the beach," said Uncle Jasper to my disappointment, "according to the weather, it's going to be really sunny."

"How about the shopping malls, then?" Aunt Alice suggested with a twinkle in her eyes. "Wonder what the fashion sense is like here…"

"Wherever you all decide to go, we've got to be back by four in the afternoon," interrupted Grandpa Carlisle, "I've got a meeting at 4:30."

"Well, we can't go outside anywhere, so lets just settle on going to the shopping malls," said Alice, determined to get her way.

"Alright, alright," said Dad, "we may as well get the shopping mall trips over and done with, otherwise Alice won't stop bugging us."

Aunt Alice just stuck her tongue out at Dad and pushed Jake and I down the passageway, ordering us to be ready in an hour at the latest.

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As we drove to Pavilion (which was one of the shopping malls Alice decided to check out first) in the cars we hired for our stay in South Africa, I wondered about Grandpa's reason for coming to South Africa. Carlisle loved helping people so there must be a really good reason for us coming here.

"Hey Grandpa," I asked, "Not to be rude, but what "Medical" business brought us down to South Africa?'

"Just like your dad, hey," he chuckled, "Always inquiring."

"Yeah, I guess. So, what is the reason?"

He looked at me. "Well Renesmee, there has been inquiries about the blood down here in South Africa. You know about the HI-virus, right?"

"Yes," I replied. It was that disease which weakened humans' immune systems.

"Well, more than that, Ness," replied Dad to my thoughts.

"You see, there is something about the HIV and/or AIDS infected blood which has some doctors baffled. And I've been asked to help out with some research."

"Oh, I see…" My mind wondered off.

"We're here!" exclaimed Aunt Alice, pointing at the huge building.

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"Two for The Grudge 3," said Jake, as we waited in line at the movies.

"O-o-on your r-right," replied the man, who was too busy ogling at me he tore the ticket. I heard Jake give a low growl as he shot the man a daggered look.

We specifically chose a horror movie because one of our favourite past times were to watch horror DVDs at home and laugh at all the gruesome parts which anyone could see was done on computer and was fake.

This movie was just as bad as the others, and Jake and I probably annoyed the rest of the audience by laughing so hard we cried whilst everyone else screamed.

It took me a while to realize that Jake's arm had found its way around my shoulders. I wasn't sure what to do… stay the same way, or lean my head on his shoulder?

"Ness, you alright?" whispered Jake in my ear, send shivers down my spine.

"Yeah, of course," I replied, and leaned my head onto his shoulder. I sighed in satisfaction when he kissed my forehead, not being repulsed by my action.

I was so comfortable in that position that the next, so-called "scary" part freaked me out and I screamed with the rest of the audience. Jake howled in laughter at my reaction, causing quite a few people to turn around and glare at him.

"I think you're too young to be watching too many horror movies, Ness," he teased.

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**Please, please, PLEASE review =)**

**And my apologies foir not responding to those who have been reviewing my story. I will when I get the chance and the will to tsop looking for more James and Lily fanfics!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I'm not Steph and I don't own the Saga**

**A/N: Okay, another chapter waaaaaay overdue I know; my apologies. I've just been busy with schoolwork and reading (btw, I reccomend the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead) that I didn't have time to type it out. My bad... =( Anyway, I better get back to typing out my Drama Essay. By the way, I'm dedicating this chapter to a friend of mine. Maus, this one is for you!**

**Chapter 8: An old Friend**

Jake's arm lay lazily around my shoulders as we left the cinema, much to my father's disapproval. But my mum nudged him and whispered, "It was bound to happen sometime." She smiled at us and I felt a familiar warmth in my cheeks. Of course, Uncle Emmet wasn't shy about hiding his reaction.

"So, how was the _movie_?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"T'waz good," replied Jake. Then he added teasingly, "Though I think Nessie got a bit scared. Nightmares for weeks, I'd say, the way she screamed."

"Aww," cooed Emmet, "Well, at least you had Jake to protect you… I suspect a lot of…ahem… cuddling."

As my blush grew more ferocious at his words, Jake's face also started burning. But he covered up his embarrassment with a chuckle.

"So, where are we going?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

"We're waiting for Alice, Rose and Esme," answered Jasper, "And knowing Alice, they've probably emptied half the stores by now."

We stood outside the cinemas, waiting for them to come back – but after a while I couldn't handle the staring of the humans. It made me feel so self-conscious, as if I had something on my face. Even though Dad kept reminding me that they were staring at my so called "beauty", I didn't feel any better. I had to get away, I had to. I looked around at the shops, trying to see which one would serve as the perfect sanctuary.

Among the coffee shops and clothing boutiques, I found a shop called "Exclusive Books". A Bookshop! Perfect. I won't get bored and people won't trouble me.

I was about to take off at full speed when Dad caught my arm.

"Walk normally," he whispered low enough for just me to hear. "Remember, humans aren't used to seeing people running at supernatural speeds."

"Where are you going?" asked Jake who couldn't read my mind. 'Want me to come with?"

"Nah, it's cool," I replied. "You can go with Emmet to that Video Game store." I noticed the two of them eyeing that shop with interest. "I'm going to that bookshop; you'll get bored out of your mind."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Positive," I smiled.

Emmet, Jasper and Jake walked off eagerly towards the video game store as I, showing the same enthusiasm, stalked off towards the bookstore. I hoped Mum and Dad would be okay on their own…

As I predicted, everyone in the store were too busy reading to actually notice me. The smell of new books tickled my senses. I loved that smell – black ink and crisp paper. I wished they'd just keep the smell after a few years.

I glanced at the new books on the tables, but because they were crowded, I moved on to the aisles. Though I really loved to read them, at the moment I wasn't in the mood for non-fiction books, so I skimmed those aisles. I wanted to get lost in a fantasy world, where things are different and not as they seem – something I could easily relate to. Human dramas to me seemed foreign and strange – I never really understood how petty things could be so important to humans and how some could cheat on their girlfriend or boyfriend and not feel anything about it. Humans like that almost seemed …heartless. Of course Dad always contradicts that thought of mine. He says if Mum was like that, then I wouldn't be here. Okay, I suppose you do get exceptions.

I found a comfortable chair in the corner of the shop for myself and got stuck into a fantasy world, loosing myself among the pages.

"Hey beautiful," interrupted a voice. I looked up and groaned inwardly. One of the human boys who had been ogling at my mum and I had just come up to me. He had brown hair and blue eyes complimented with a dimpled smile. Behind one of the aisles, I could hear his friends whispering and trying to see if I responded to him.

"Hello," I replied as expressionlessly as I could. I didn't mean to be rude and as interesting as I found humans, I couldn't stand their ogling; and this boy's eyes were practically popping out of his head.

"So, what's a beautiful American lady like you doing in this dump?" he asked after he 'recovered'. "You are American, right?"

"That's right and I'm reading," I answered both his questioned dryly, "What does it look like to you?"

"Oh, I don't know, just trying to kill some time, perhaps?" he replied, "Waiting for your boyfriend? The big Indian who ran off to the video shop with your brothers."

Wow, humans were more observant than what I gave them credit for. He must have seen Jake, Emmet and Jasper. I thought carefully before I answered.

"Yes, I am. I'm waiting for my _boyfriend _to finish at the store," I replied, loving the 'boyfriend' in reference to Jake sounded.

'So I guess that means that there's no chance in me getting your number?"

I raised an eyebrow. Did he honestly think I was interested? "I –"

"I'm sorry, but is this man bothering you?"

I spun around; the voice sounded vaguely familiar. Another young man, his skin rich in colour, black hair braided and dangerous teak-coloured eyes, stood next to us; his eyes moving swiftly between the boy and me. An early memory of my "childhood" reminded me who this was; Nahuel.

"No Nahuel," I replied, "In fact, he was just saying goodbye, _weren't you_?"

I flashed the boy a fake smile but my eyes flashed dangerously in his direction, showing my true feeling. He must've got the message because his eyes widened in shock and he back away, not bothering to say goodbye. I turned back to Nahuel who was surprised I recognized him.

"I didn't realize you'd recognize me after these past few years," he said quietly, "How have you been?"

"Good, I guess," I replied, "and you?"

"No complaints," he said, his tensed composure relaxing a bit.

"Nessie, there you are."

Mum, Dad and Jacob walked around the aisle. Dad and Mum recognized Nahuel and smiled, but Jacob's eyes narrowed and (perhaps I imagined this) his body quivered for just a second. He was getting a tad bit angry.

I couldn't understand why though, I mean I was just reading till that boy came and disturbed me. If it hadn't been for Nahuel, then he probably would have still been pestering me…

Ah, Nahuel. That was the reason.

"Nahuel, it has been a while," Dad greeted.

"It has indeed," he replied, "If I may ask, what are you doing here in South Africa?"

Mum chuckled, "We're here on vacation, seeing that Nessie and Jake have a month left before school starts. And you?"

"I was invited by an old friend to come and visit. I haven't seen him in a while."

"Are you here with Huilen?" inquired Dad.

"No, she is back home," Nahuel replied.

A few more quivers shook Jake, something which I shouldn't allow to happen. I shifted towards him and put my palm to his face, sending him an image of Nahuel not harming me. I put my arm around him and leaned my head against his shoulder. Hesitantly, he put his arm around my shoulder, kissing my forehead.

"The others are waiting outside the store for us," he murmured.

"Yes, and I think Carlisle would be very happy to see you, Nahuel," said Dad, "Do you mind stepping out with us for a minute?"

"Not at all," he replied, following Dad and Mum, who were heading towards the exit. I took a step towards them, but Jake kept his feet planted to the ground. He turned and faced me, his eyes burning with concern.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked. "What about that other boy who came earlier?"

"Hey, how do you – "

"Your dad told me," he interrupted.

"Right," I groaned. He couldn't let me keep one secret, now could he?

"Well?"

"It was some human who wanted my number, but I practically ignored him. You're not jealous, are you?" I teased, hoping to ease the tension. I must've worked, because his shoulders relaxed a bit and the corners of his mouth twitched into what looked like a hidden smile.

"Me, Jacob Black, jealous?" he smirked, "I don't think so." He pulled me into a brief bear hug and led me towards the exit.

When we left the shop, I saw the rest of the family sitting on some benches. Carlisle was in a deep conversation with Esme, Dad and Nahuel; Alice was showing Mum, Emmet and Jasper all the clothes that she'd bought; there were two trolleys full. Emmet had his arms around Rosalie, whispering something in her ear. She chuckled, slapping him playfully on his arm.

"Nessie!" exclaimed Aunt Alice when she saw me, "You won't believe all the clothes I got you!"

I groaned, causing everyone to laugh. Knowing Aunt Alice, she'd probably make me model all my clothes this evening.

"So what would you two like for supper?" asked Esme, "or should I say three. Nahuel will be joining us; anything you want in particular?"

Jake's relaxed frame tensed again for a brief second, but relaxed almost immediately.

"Surprise us, Esme," he smiled. I suspected Jasper having something to do with Jake's sudden mood change.

"I'm not fussy," added Nahuel, "What time shall I come over?"

"Round about seven pm?"

"Sure," he replied, "I'll see you all later. Bye Nessie." He smiled at me briefly before disappearing through the crowd.

"Can we leave now, please?" I pleaded. "These humans are starting to freak me out." Just as I had anticipated, the ogling continued as Jake and I left the bookstore. Talk about stalking…


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **I'm not Stephenie Meyer. Enough said.

**A/N: **Yeah, well its been a while and I haven't update, but this one is worth the wait (2 755 words!). My profile mentioned hat this story is on hold. Reason? Well, first read the chapter and _then_ find out ;P

* * *

**Chapter 9: Disagreements **

"I think this outfit is great."

"No, wait. This one is good, but this other one would be even better," Aunt Alice said whilst rummaging through a huge bag which read "Mr. Price". We were in my room in the shalet trying on some outfits for this evening's supper; don't ask me why she wanted me to _dress up_ for it.

She tossed me something blue. I open it out and leaned it against me. It was a strapless dress which came up to above my knee. I would have had the same opinion about it as Aunt Alice, if it weren't for the huge slit half way up the side. I looked uncertainly at Aunt Alice.

"Pretty, isn't it?" she beamed at me, "Try it on!"

Sighing, I changed for the tenth time just to make her happy. I slipped the blue dress on and observed myself in the mirror. Yup I was right; too much flesh-flash. I turned around to face Aunt Alice again.

"You've got to be kidding," I snorted, "This outfit? Right where is the next dress you wanted to show me?"

"No, this is perfect!" she exclaimed, "Shows off your figure quite nicely. I'd say Jake wouldn't know what hit him if he saw you in that."

That brought me to a stop. Would Jake really like this dress? I looked at myself again in the mirror, trying to view it with a different mindset.

There was a knock on the door,

"May I come in?" asked Jacob's voice.

"Now we'll test me theory," Alice whispered to me. "Sure Jake, you can come in."

Jacob opened the door and walked in casually, bare-chested as usual. He had his usual smile plastered to his face, but when he saw me… well, let's just say it wiped the smile off his face. He just stared, not in a gross, perverted way, but in a way that made me feel pretty and shy that I blushed. His body trembled slightly, but he glowed, like the time when he'd imprinted on me. He bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back the tremors.

"You're not wearing that this evening, are you?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"But of course," answered Alice, a grin plastered to her face in victory, "Don't you think she looks pretty?"

"I… I…" he stammered, his eyes still glued to me, "I don't think you should wear this. I don't want you to wear it."

Two feelings aroused. First I felt relief that he had the same opinion about the dress, I didn't want to wear it either. But the way in which he said it… did he have perhaps the opposite reaction of what Aunt Alice hoped for? What if I didn't look pretty?

"What are you talking about?" argued Aunt Alice, "This is perfect for this evening. Don't you agree, Nessie?"

I was unsure as to how to answer, but Jake cut me off before I could even try.

"I highly doubt Edward or Bella would agree to this outfit."

A growl from outside the door came in agreement to Jacob's words. Dad must've seen it through Jake's thoughts.

"Alice, my daughter will not exit the room in that piece of cloth you call a dress," said Dad clearly, trying to conceal any anger.

Alice pouted and studied me again. She then walked over to another packet and pulled out a pair of dark jeans. She leaned it against me.

"What if I teamed it up with a pair of jeans?" she asked, "Like this?"

She probably tried to show it to him through her thoughts. Jake looked at the jeans, at Alice and then back at me, his eyes blazing.

"The jeans are an improvement," he said and turned to leave the room. What was that for? Dad and Mum walked in, giving Alice a look and observed me.

"I think with the jeans its fine," answered Mum, breaking the tension in the room. Gosh, tension over a dress?

"Alice, in future when you're dressing my daughter, I'd like to see what you bought first. Alright?" asked Dad.

"Yeah, sure sure," she answered, packing everything back in their packets. She was smiling, seeing that she did eventually get her own way in wanting me to wear the dress. She always gets her way; Mum warned me about this a long time ago.

I wondered what Jacob's issue was; I mean it was just an outfit. He didn't have to get so worked up about it… and besides, I thought he actually liked it. Men… ah well. I pulled on the pair of jeans that Alice tossed to me, thankful there wouldn't be much flesh-flash to worry about.

***

"Mmm, that smells good," I commented as I walked into the kitchen, "What's for dinner?"

"Calalonie," replied Esme, "Thought I'd try something different this evening."

"Calalonie? What exactly is that?" asked Mum, joining us in the kitchen. Dad, Emmet, Jasper, Carlisle and Jacob were watching sports on TV.

"Its sort of like Lasagna, just prepared differently," answered Esme. "I hope Nahuel won't mind."

"I'm sure he won't" I smiled, "Who would ever mind your cooking?"

Esme smiled at the compliment. I decided to hang around in the kitchen as I really didn't want to face Jacob. His behaviour began to irritate me. Why get worked up over clothes?

I sat down at the table, mindlessly toying with a knife in my hand. Trying to forget about the incident earlier, I wondered what would happen if I cut myself with it or at least tried to. I did have blood running through my veins after all, would I bleed? Or was my skin strong enough to withstand a cut? I ran the sharp side of the blade against my palm softly. Nothing, not even a scratch. I ran it down again with slightly more force –

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, what on earth do you think you're doing?" yelled my mother. I spun around in shock, the impact of it causing me to use more force than I'd intended.

"Ouch!" I yelped, surprised by the slight sting. I looked back to my hands to find a bit of blood dribbling down my palm. What was strange though was that there was no trace of the cut anywhere. Maybe I was like Jake…

"Yes, seeing that you have the same chromosome pairs," said Dad who had come into the room with Jake, "And can you please explain why you're cutting yourself?"

"Oh, um, that…" I looked at my parents sheepishly.

_Ding_

"It's probably Nahuel," I said, trying to change the subject. "I'll go get it."

"No, you stay here, I'll get it," replied Dad, pulling Mum with him.

He was already out the doorway before I could argue. Jacob pulled the chair next to me and sat down. As much as I tried to look away, his gaze forced me to look at him. His warm hands found mine, his thumb tracing the path of where the cut was, wiping away the blood.

"And what was that for?" he asked in a low voice.

"Nothing," I replied, "why are you concerned?" I added stupidly. I couldn't help it, I was still a bit annoyed from earlier.

"Because that's what best friends do," he replied softly, "Why are you upset with me?"

I sighed, "You know earlier in the room, when I was changing and you came in?"

"Yes… what about it?" he was trying very hard to keep a straight face.

"Well, I want to know why… why you were so repulsed by me in the dress. Do I look that ugly in something skin revealing? Is it my skin?"

My cheeks burned ferociously and I looked away. I could hear voices in the lounge and could pick out Nahuel's. Jake gaze caught mine once again, holding it in one place again. Then the blaze in his eyes softened.

"Listen," he whispered, "We don't have time right now. Can we talk about this after supper? I'll take you out for a walk on the beach."

"Alright," I said.

"Good, now please smile," he said, "Frowns don't suit your pretty face."

I raised an eyebrow giving him a cynical look, but couldn't hide the smile caused by the comment. I linked my fingers through his –

"And what do we have here?" interrupted Emmet, smirking as he stood in the doorway with Rose, Alice and Jasper behind him. Emmet in his "fatherly" voice was probably the funniest thing ever. His brow would wrinkle a bit as he tried to strict but the amusement in his eyes couldn't be missed. "Is there something you two would like to tell us?"

"Ugh Emmet, what a way to spoil the mood," said Alice, "and stop block the way, we'd like to get through."

She, Carlisle, Esme and Nahuel walked in past Emmet. I smiled warmly when I saw our guest.

Jake's hand gripped mine tight, a slight tremor escaping his body. I acted instinctively and gripped his hand tighter, as though the action would stop the tremors from escaping.

It must have, because Jake's narrowed eyes (which were glued to Nahuel) softened just a tad bit.

"After supper, can we go out for a walk?" Jake murmured.

"If it's alright with Dad," I replied as I got up to greet Nahuel, not wanting to be rude.

"Good evening Nahuel," I greeted.

"Evening Renesmee," he smiled, "Hello Jacob".

"Hello," replied Jake curtly, also standing up.

"Oh no, don't get up," said Esme, making her way to the oven. "Dinner is ready; why don't you sit down, Nahuel?"

Nahuel said nothing and sat down by the third plate which had been set at the table. We all followed Nahuel's lead and sat around the table.

"Alright Jacob," said Dad suddenly.

All eyes locked on Dad and then on Jake. Nahuel, however, made as though no one had spoken.

"So Carlisle, what have you been doing here in South Africa?" he asked as Esme brought over the hot casserole dish, "I'm pretty sure you've been busy with the Health Department – I mean, the health is South Africa isn't all that great."

"As a matter or fact I am busy with something in terms of the medical situations here in South Africa," replied Carlisle, "I'm sure you're aware of the HI-Virus and how it has affected this country pretty badly."

"Yes I have," said Nahuel as he dished out some Calalonie onto his plate, "Well, what about it?"

"Research has had some doctors baffled. I was asked to come help out."

"Oh I see," replied Nahuel, "What exactly does this research entail?"

"Well, the HI-Virus and how it reacts to certain substances and why it does so," said Carlisle, frowning slightly, "But enough about me and my research, what about you; what are you doing in South Africa? You said that you have a friend here."

"Yes I do. I've known him for quite some time."

"Quite some time?" repeated Jasper, "Is he one of us?"

"Well, one of _you_, yes."

"I didn't know there were vampires here in South Africa," said Emmet, "What with apartheid about a decade ago, I was pretty sure that it wouldn't have been safe for vampires to be here. After all, our skin would've caused problems and the Volturi would have stepped in."

I was stunned. Something that informative and deep sounded strange coming from Uncle Emmet's mouth.

"Yes, your uncle can be quite surprising sometimes," smiled Dad.

"Hey, what's my niece thinking about me?" asked Emmet, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

"Who said it was about you?" I shot back teasingly, "You're not that important, you know?"

Mock hurt showed on his face as he sighed dramatically.

"The food is delicious Esme," Nahuel complimented quietly, "Don't be surprised if I come and pay you a surprise visit in America."

Everyone except Jacob laughed. His anxiety about Nahuel was apparent as he stared at the half-human, half-vampire between mouthfuls of Calalonie. At least there wasn't any shuddering…

The rest of supper carried on relatively alright as we talked about trivial things, like the weather. By the time we'd finished our food (I ended up having two helpings!), Jacob was getting restless.

"I'm sorry, but please could Nessie and I excuse ourselves from the table," he requested, providing no explanation as to why.

"Yes, of course," said Dad, a bit of uncertainty caught in his voice.

"Your curfew is at 9pm, Renesmee Cullen," Uncle Emmet got into his fatherly imitation again.

I looked at the time. "You're giving me fifteen minutes?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, and no exceptions young lady," he continued, "and if you're late, you _will_ be grounded."

"Don't worry sir," Jake saluted, "She'll be back by 10pm at the latest."

That was meant for Mum and Dad, I could tell, as Jake's eyes met theirs as he got up and gave a slight nod. He stretched his hand out and grabbed mine, pulling me up effortlessly and led me out the room.

"Bye, see you all later," I said, "It was good to see you again Nahuel."

"As it was to see you, Renesmee," he replied.

'Where are we going?" I asked Jake, as we walked out the front door of our chalet.

"Just down to be the beach," he replied, "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." Anywhere was fine as long as I was with Jake.

We went down to the bottom floor in the elevator and out through the front doors of the hotel. The cold wind slapped us in the face as we waked outside, but I didn't feel cold. Thank goodness for 24 chromosome pairs…

We walked across the road, hands linked, past the restaurants and past the place separating the beach sand and the paving. The wind was stronger than this morning and not many humans were about. When we got to the sand, we took off our shoes, letting the dry sea sand squirm between our toes.

Neither of us said anything as we walked towards the sea, but just before we reached the water, at the point between the dry and wet sand, Jacob stopped and turned to look at me.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen," he said, "I know I have been your best friend for a long time now, and I've never regretted any moment of it. I want you to know that you're the best thing that ever happened to me – hey, what's so funny?"

I couldn't help it, when he said that line I burst into hysterics. Jacob was never one for fluff.

"Talk about fluffy," I laughed.

"Yeah, you're right," he chuckled. "I suck at this sort of thing, don't I? Okay let's start again. But just so you know, I meant every word I said."

The seriousness evident in his eyes stopped my laughter at once as he held my gaze. His hands found mine, thumbs drawing circles in the sensitive points in my wrists.

"Nessie, I –"

Jake was cut off by a muffled cry and a strange scent…

Vampire.

And a human.

Beyond human eyesight, Jake and I could see and smell a vampire dragging a young human girl out to sea. The girl was struggling against the vampire with whatever strength she had, but the rich-skinned vampire pulled her effortlessly towards the shoreline. There were no other humans around to notice what was happening.

"Call your parents," Jake whispered, kicking off his shoes and, with a tremor, transformed into a wolf, taking off at full speed down the shoreline.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Dad's number.

"Dad, all of you need to get down here now!" I said, "Oh, and bring some pants with you. Jake's gonna need it."

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**A/N: **So, why is WHSS on hold? Well, I've been busy with my friend's birthday prezzie (which is in 7 weeks and 1 day) and its taken up a lot of time. I will continue and hopefully have another chapter or two in a few weeks but by our spring holiday I'll have to stop and work on her prezzie. But stay tuned for updates!

One more thing, please press that button that says "Review". Thanks :)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I;m not Steph. But you already knew that.

A/N: Okay, this chapter is WAY overdue, but here it is. The whole story is completed, but I won't be posting the rest up until I start getting some reviews. So please leave me a review when you're done :) Hope you enjoy this chapter.

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**10. Bloodlust**

A piece of white flew in my direction as Jake tore off a chunk of the vampire's marble exterior. The vampire screamed in response and grabbed hold of Jake's hind leg, his intention to crush it. I tore down the shoreline, my voice echoing Jake's name as I tried to warn him about the vampire. Jake's reflexes reacted instantly and he grabbed hold of the arm attempting to crush his leg with his mouth, sinking his sharp teeth into the white granite as the vampire let out another cry of pain.

Vivid, white figures joined Jake, moving at lightening speed to pin the blood-thirsty beast down. I kept running towards them, but a pair of hands grabbed me from the back and held me. A hand covered my mouth, muffling the scream building up in me.

"Shh," soothed a male's voice. "It's me, Nahuel."

I stopped struggling and gently teased Nahuel's hand off my mouth.

"Thank goodness," I started towards the scene again, but his hands on my shoulders held me back. "What are you doing? Let go, we need to help them!" I motioned to my family in exasperation. Why was he keeping me back?

"You don't need to see any of that," Nahuel said quietly, though his eyes burned; a mix of concern and frustration which could've melted metal.

What the hell, did he think I was… too young or something? Would witnessing a vampire being ripped to shreds give me nightmares and leave me emotionally scarred?

No. Being just a baby, I had the Volturi after my blood. I was pretty sure that I could handle this.

Nahuel was now on his phone, his voice too low for me to hear exactly what he was saying or even figure out who he was talking to. I used this distraction to pry his hands off my shoulder and take off down the shoreline again. This time he wasn't prepared for it and I raced ahead of him towards Jacob.

When I reached the scene, everyone was surrounding the vampire; but when I got a closer look, I realized that it was actually pieces of the creature. With Jacob's and my family's bite marks embedded in all of them, there were different shapes and sizes. It reminded me of one of those puzzles I used to do when I was younger. The moonlight made the pieces sparkle as the light bounced off the surface. But then I turned towards Jake and saw the head of the vampire.

It was still alive and the head looked as though it was writhing in pain, its eyes rolling backwards, mouth shaped as though it was screaming but no sound escaped his lips. Lines crinkled the smooth marble of his skin which was covered with fang and teeth marks. From each of the dents on his face and from his neck dripped blood.

Red, oozing blood dripped drop by drop into the beach sand, disappearing beneath the grains.

Human blood.

But this blood wasn't like normal human blood. It had a strange, inviting scent. A scent that demanded my attention. I couldn't think about anything else, I just wanted to drink that blood; to taste it, to feel its texture on my the source of it was lying only a few feet away, crumpled on the sand, weak and unconscious.

"No, Renesmee," Dad hissed, and grabbed me before I could get any closer to the body of the human girl. "Jasper, a little help?"

Besides assisting to hold me down, Jasper also helped drain the urge of bloodlust that suddenly consumed my mind. Serenity surged through my thoughts, and just for a second I almost forgot about the girl and her blood.

'Take her to the hotel, Jasper," said Dad. "She can't stay here."

"Sure thing Edward. But I'll have to stay up with her; what if the bloodlust comes again?"

"I'll go with, if you don't mind," Nahuel's voice requested, "I'll stay with her till you are done with… this."

A growl interrupted the quiet voices. Jacob wasn't happy.

"No, Jake," said Dad, "We need you here. There is something we need to discuss."

Nahuel looked into Jake's eyes when he addressed him, "I'll take care of her; don't worry."

Jacob bared his teeth in response as Nahuel took my hand and he and Jasper led me back to the hotel room.

I couldn't understand what had just happened. When I'd caught scent of the blood, it caused me to almost… go into a frenzy. Into bloodlust. I couldn't think of anything else. All I wanted was that blood. I could still get the scent of the blood as we walked up to the hotel, but with Jasper controlling my emotions, I could think clearly and not give in to the scent.

"Now Nessie, this is going to have to look natural as we pass the humans at reception," said Jasper as we reached the entrance of the hotel, "Think you can handle it?"

I nodded, shrugged off Jasper and Nahuel's hold off me and walked in to the hotel. Opting for the alternative, I walked off towards the stairs and took off at lightening speed to our floor. Jasper and Nahuel met me at the front door of the _**chalet **_in a second.

Jasper told me I looked exhausted and sent me straight to my room to change and get some rest. I had a feeling that his interference with my emotions caused me to feel tired as I removed my outfit and put on a new pair of pajamas which Alice bought me. Outside I could hear Nahuel and Jasper talking.

"You sure you'll stay here. Don't you want to get some rest?"

"I'll be fine, Jasper. It's Renesmee that we need to worry about. She has seen a lot this evening. I don't think the first night is going to be easy."

"What do you mean?"

"She is a half-vampire. She sleeps. After what she saw this evening, even after I told her not to go see it, she will have nightmares. I would know…"

There was a pain silence.

"Alright then, if you insist," said Jasper and walked out the chalet, closing the front door behind him.

"Are you alright in there?" called Nahuel, his voice slipping through the space under the door.

"I'm fine," I said as I scrambled into bed, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. "You can… uh… come in if you like."

Nahuel smiled as he walked in. I motioned towards the couch in the room.

"You know, if you _are _tired, you can always crash on the couch," I said. Then I teased him a bit to relieve the tension. "I won't tell anyone you were slacking on the job."

He laughed and sat down on the chair beside the bed. "I'm fine, really."

Nahuel's face seemed so concerned and caring; I couldn't help but blurt out, "What do you mean I'll have nightmares?"

He sighed, the smile gone, and laid his hand on mine. "That scene… well, it's not something you see everyday, now is it? It may give you nightmares, but you'll probably get over it…"

He looked away, taking his hand with him. Lines formed on his forehead, frown lines which contradicted with his alluring face. I reached out and made him face me again.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "I didn't mean to upset you. You have had these experiences before, haven't you?"

"It was long ago," he said, "I've gotten over it. Don't worry about me."

We sat there in silence, looking at each other.

The ring of Nahuel's phone broke the silence. He reached into his pocket to retrieve it and motioned towards the clock, "Its way passed your bedtime. You need to sleep."

"Alright," I pulled the covers over me. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," He replied, shutting the door behind him.

I don't know how far away from the door he had gone, because even with his voice low, I could hear exactly what he was saying.

"What was wrong with him?" Nahuel's frustrated voice carried into my room. "I know it's the middle of the night, but didn't we warn him?"

"No, it is his own fault. He deserved what he got… Yes, I think they'll destroy him… Listen, next time we recruit another one, we need to explain to them the dangers of this. This advantage also comes with dangers… Yes, it will… Oh, they seem fine. Except this all probably wouldn't have happened if they hadn't brought their mutt with them… Yeah. Listen, I've got to go now. I'll speak to you later."

As the beep of the button cut the call, I closed my eyes in false slumber. But the weight of my lids carried me away to dreamland, far away from what I'd just heard…

***

"What the hell is going on?"

"Shh, you'll wake Nessie."

Not true, even though they tried to keep their tones measured, their voices still woke me. My eye remained shut though, not willing to open a millimeter.

"Sorry, but you also feel the same way, Alice."

"Yes, when Carlisle is back he'll explain. I'm sure."

"Edward, Carlisle mentioned something about the blood, but he was in such a hurry, we barely made sense of his words. You read his mind, what did he mean?"

"I don't I'm the right person to explain. Besides, I think he would like to do that himself."

There was an awkward, pained silence.

"But that blood… there was something about it. The scent wasn't normal."

"There was something in it… you don't think –"

The sound of the door shutting cut off the person speaking.

"Carlisle," said Dad, "He'll explain."

Carlisle opened the door softly and stepped in the room. The others, even Dad, hadn't picked up that I was awake. I supposed that what they were talking about was really worrying them.

"Renesmee still sleeping then?" asked Carlisle.

"Looks like it," Jasper said, "Carlisle, _what_ is going on?"

"That blood…" Alice murmured, "It wasn't normal."

"And what about Renesmee?" Mum's voice was thick with worry. "She just…"

"Bloodlust," said Dad, "That's what was on mind. Her senses all focused on the blood. Like a newborn's bloodlust."

Through my lashes, I saw Carlisle lift his hand up and silence enveloped the room once more.

"What happened last night was unexpected," said Carlisle, "I cannot tell you why that vampire was doing on the beach, but I can tell you why Renesmee reacted the way she did. It was the blood."

Another silence; all eyes fixed on Carlisle as he sat down on the chair beside the bed. The chair which Nahuel occupied before I'd slept.

"The human girl died on the way to hospital due to a loss of blood. Yes Alice, her blood wasn't normal; it was HIV infected.

"Before they took her to the morgue, I took a sample of her blood and had a closer look at it. The vampire had not yet bitten her as there was no trace of venom in it. So I added a bit of mine in it; just to see what the effects would be –"

"And?" Jasper asked.

"The venom and blood reacted immediately. From what I saw, the venom and the HIV bacteria worked together, fusing to form a new substance. I tested it on several materials. It broke through everything, consuming whatever was in its path. In comparison to vampire venom on its own, it's stronger."

"But Carlisle," my mother interrupted, "Renesmee? Her reaction?"

"This is one thing I'm not entirely sure about. However, I do have a theory…"

"That would make sense, Carlisle," commented Dad, probably reading the theory through his thoughts.

"What I think," continued Carlisle "is that the blood's appeal was stronger to her than to the rest of us. I'm you must have found some attraction from the blood's scent?"

Everyone nodded. They were so engrossed in what Carlisle was saying, that they didn't notice me shift to my right, still in false slumber, to get a better view of what was happening.

"Well, I think that the appeal of it affected her to a point that it sent her into bloodlust. It didn't have the same effect on us as it did on her because she is only half a vampire…"

"But then why didn't it have the same effect on Nahuel?" Jasper inquired. "He is also half."

"He wasn't standing as close to the blood as I was."

Those words came from my lips. I was fully awake now, my eyes opened wide and curiosity probably showed on my face.

"Morning," I added, smiling.

"Yes, but he did come towards us later, did he not?" Jasper argued, "To bring you back to the room."

"That's why I said it's just a theory," Carlisle reminded him, "I could be completely off for all we know…"

Another awkward silence aroused, but I couldn't handle the tension.

"So, what are our plans for today?" I asked, changing the topic.

Aunt Alice smiled. "Well, the weather is miserable. It's overcast, windy and rains are expected shortly. If you can wake your boyfriend up, I'm sure we can go down to the beach. Unless you want to go there without him…"

She winked at me, pulling the curtains open to reveal a very dreary looking sky. I jumped out the bed as fast as I could and raced towards Jake's room, not bothering to knock before I entered the room and jumped on the bed.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh yes! Forget to mention that the whole story was given (in hard copy) to my friend Priyanka as part of her birthday present. I shall post a picture of it soon :) Don't forget to review!


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Yes, I'm the author of the best selling series The Twilight Saga. 8o

**A/N:** So... last time I updated was... October last year? Whoops... my bad. Things have been pretty hectic these past few months though. Anyway, next chapter up. Enjoy :)

* * *

**11. Confession**

After convincing him that Esme had good food waiting for us on the table, Jake got out the bed, his eyelids still drooping due to exhaustion. Even though I was excited to go to the beach and wanted Jake to be up and awake, I did feel bad for waking him up after the previous night's saga and was worried about him. As we walked down the passage towards the kitchen (after we'd both brushed our teeth), I slipped my fingers through his.

"How are you?" I asked, "After last night?"

His grin replaced his tired expression, wiping away my worry.

"Haven't had that kind of action in a long time," he said, "Bet the rest of the pack have been having boring patrols back in the USA. Speaking of which…"

He pulled out his phone and his thumbs got working. "I think I should email the pack and let them know what happened."

He sat down at the kitchen table as Esme brought breakfast to us. When he was done emailing Seth, Jake looked at me.

"How are _you_ feeling?" He asked, his tone low and measured. "You know, after… after your frenzy?"

I laughed, "Much better. Though I think you'd want to hear everything from Carlisle and Dad. More news came in this morning."

Emmet and Dad both walked into the kitchen.

"Ah, morning Jake," said Emmet, "I see Nessie has taken the responsibility to waking you up every morning."

"Yes, not that I'm complaining," smiled Jacob.

Dad and Emmet chuckled as my face burned. Damn DNA!

"Jacob, Nessie is right," said Dad, "We need to explain a few things. For instance, the human girl's blood…"

I concentrated on my food rather than on what Dad was saying, I'd already heard it. Last night was pretty eventful. After that whole bloodlust frenzy, Nahuel and Jasper brought me home. I couldn't help but eavesdrop on Nahuel's conversation on the phone when I'd "gone to sleep". And I wasn't stupid; whoever he spoke to on the phone wanted to know all about what had happened.

"Recruit another one"; what was that supposed to mean? And "they"; I supposed he was referring to us. But then he called Jake a "mutt" and that just annoyed me to no end. He also mentioned something about the vampire "I think they'll destroy him". Did they really destroy him?

"Dad, did you destroy – what did you do to him?" I asked, words tumbling out my mouth.

"We threw the pieces into the seas," said Dad, "we couldn't burn him."

"Why?"

"We didn't have anything to burn him with, Ness," Jake replied, "And even if we did have something, it would have attracted human attention – something we don't need."

"So… you just threw all the pieces in the sea. Won't he be able to re-arrange himself?"

"Yes, but his pieces are scattered," Emmet answered this time. "We drove along the coast, all the way down to the south coast, and threw them in. And we broke the head up even more and then we chucked that into the sea as well. It'll be a long time before the pieces ever come into contact. For all we know, some of them could've been carried off by the tide way into sea, to another place."

"He won't be back, Nessie," soothed Dad, reading my next thoughts; what if he came back to look for us? "Besides, they are ten of us and one of him; he won't hurt any of us."

That comforted me a bit, but someone else needed to know about Nahuel's conversation on the phone yesterday. I knew Dad was listening to my thoughts, so I replayed whatever I'd heard in my head. Dad didn't move his whole body, but his eyebrows shot up, acknowledging he'd heard my thoughts.

"Please excuse me," said Dad, as he left the room, "I'm going to see if they packed everything."

Beneath the lame excuse Dad had conjured up, I knew he was really going tell either Carlisle or Jasper about what he'd just heard.

"Come on," Jacob said, taking my spoon and dipping it into my cereal, "finish your cereal so we can go. Open up."

I opened my mouth and he gently put the spoon in my mouth. He continued feeding me till my cereal was finished, his eyes never leaving mine. We both laughed when milk slid from the corner of my mouth, dripping off my chin. His fingers came up to brush it off my face, the heat of his skin against my causing my skin to burn and cheeks turned pink.

"Are you done?" Esme asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Almost," I answered flustered, grabbing the spoon from Jake and finished off my cereal in two mouthfuls.

I took both our bowl to the sink and danced out the kitchen. Planning to get to the beach as soon as possible, I went straight to my room to change. However, when I entered the room, I found Alice and Rosalie digging a few more shopping packets.

"Nessie, which colour bathing suit would you prefer?" asked Aunt Alice, holding up two options, "Blue or Green?"

Agh, not again…

The cold wind hit us as the hotel door opened, biting any exposed flesh. The humans at the reception shuddered as the wind swirled its way into the room, making its presence known.

Heading down to the beach the same way Jake and I had the previous night, I couldn't help but think about what Jake was saying before we were interrupted. He never regretted a moment with me… fluffy, but sweet at the same time. I wondered if we'd get some alone time; perhaps then he could finish what he was going to say…

We crossed the road, past the empty parking lot, to the beach. The sea was restless, huge waves crashing against the shoreline. Emmet smiled hugely.

"Those waves look inviting," he said, "What say we grab a couple of surfboards and –"

"Surfboards?" I laughed, "From where exactly?"

"Oh, we'll make a plan," said Jasper mischievously, "There is a surfboard rental place over there." He jerked his thumb to show us where he was talking about. "We'll just borrow a few surfboards…"

I snorted. I'm pretty sure that the store was closed in weather like this. When Jasper said "borrow", he probably meant "break in the store, take a few surfboards and later put them back exactly as he found them."

"Yeah," agreed Emmet, "Ness, you're going to love surfing these waves."

"Well, they do look pretty awesome," I said, looking at the high tide.

We got to a spot, far away from human eyes, and dumped our stuff on the sand. Jasper and Emmet headed off down the beach towards the surfboard rental place as Mum started laying out some of the towels on the ground.

Emmet and Jasper were back in no time, carrying about 6 surfboards with them.

"Ready to hit the waves?" Emmet asked, tossing the boards on the sand.

"Hell yeah," replied Jake, grabbing two boards with one hand and my arm with the other and dragged us off towards the waves.

They were huge; or at least bigger than the ones that I was used to at La Push. Jake and I lay on our boards and paddled towards them; with the adrenaline rushing through my veins I had a feeling it was going to take a lot to tear me away from the waves…

About an hour and a half later Jake and I lay on our towels, out of breath and exhausted; those waves were a real challenge.

"Well, that was fun," said Jacob sitting up a bit, leaning on his elbows.

"Yeah," I said, mirroring his actions, looking at the sea. "We haven't done this in a while."

"Yeah," he whispered, his gaze drifting towards me.

"Jake, what were you going to say yesterday? Before…"

With the rest of the family still surfing, Jake and I were alone. His eyes locked on mine, his sandy, burning fingers started at my wrists slowly making its way up my arm, the grains grazing my skin.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen," he started, fingers lingering on my shoulders, "There was a reason I imprinted on you and no-one else. You're perfect for me – my soul mate. I can't imagine living my life with anyone besides you."

His hand now brushed across my collar bone, burning the skin. Jake's fingers came up to my jaw, curling, to trap my face; forcing me to look at him. My skin was on fire, a contradiction to the weather, as he leaned in till our foreheads and noses touched, his lips barely brushing mine. I closed my eyes, anticipating what would happen next.

"I suppose there is no simpler way to put this Ness," his voice husky, seductive, "I love you."

Barely giving me time to breathe, he pressed his lips softly to mine – and then we exploded. Hotter than the fire of his skin on mine, his kiss burned my lips, blooding boiling under my skin. As his lips moved in synch with mine, my fingers found their way up his bare torso; past his stomach muscles, across his chest, past his shoulders to lock around his neck, pulling me closer to him. He started to lean back, leading me with him as he pulled me on top of him as his arms wrapped around my waist, his skin leaving a trail of fire where it touched mine.

Jake pulled back slightly as we both gasped for air, forehead and nose still touching.

"I have a confession to make," he breathed. "The reason why I was so… taken aback by what you wore was because you are the most beautiful girl to walk this planet Ness, and I respect that. Something precious should always be kept safe and protected – not exposed and be left vulnerable. And with Nahuel coming over last night… well, I couldn't handle the fact that he'd be ogling over you."

His lips caught my lower lip, teasing it slightly. Shivers of pleasure ran down my spine, the endorphin rush setting me on a high. I couldn't think of anything else but the feel of his lips on mine, his one hand on the small of my back and the other twisted into a fist; knotting my hair – I couldn't think of anything else besides him setting me ablaze.

My fingers, with the same eagerness, moved from his neck to his think, soft, dark hair; my skin reveling the texture of it.

Nothing could've torn us apart… except for a small "ahem" from Behind me. Jake and I both jumped and turned around to find Alice, Jasper and Emmet with his arms around Rosalie; all with smug expressions on their faces.

Emmet chuckled as Alice said, "It's about time. But did you have to do that here?"

Though blushing ferociously, Jake and I both smiled.

"Yes, it was necessary. Had to make a point, see?"

"Yeah," I agreed, arms still wrapped around Jake, "to show everyone that this is _my_ Jacob."

* * *

**A/N:** See that link over there... The one that says "Review this Chapter" ? You know what to do... ;)

Review this Chapter 


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** No, I have never met Taylor Lautner, nor am I a Mormon from America who just happens to be the author of the Vampire saga taking over the world.

**A/N: **Okay, surprise waiting for you after you finish this chapter :D

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**12. Safari Hunt**

I wasn't entirely surprised when Dad didn't flip out after Jake's "confession" – all I had to do was give him my innocent, _daddy's-little-angel_ expression after Emmet 'accidently' blabbed about our make-out session at the beach. Besides, Dad knew this would be coming anytime soon, what with reading my and Jake's thoughts.

"What would you like for dinner, Renesmee?" asked Esme, tactfully trying to change the subject for my sake.

"Steak," I replied, the answer flying off my lips without me even thinking. "Raw."

"Uh-oh," said Jasper, "I think someone's thirsty…"

"Yes, it's been a while since she last hunted," Mum noted.

"Ah, yes," Emmet rumbled with excitement. "Another hunting trip!"

"Another?"

"Yeah," he said sheepishly. "We went whilst you were asleep. Ness, you're going to _love_ the game here. If you thought Mountain Lion was good, you should try African Lion."

I licked my lips with a sense of anticipation. I hadn't had blood in a while and my vampire side was getting restless.

"Alright then," said Dad, "Have a good rest this evening and early tomorrow morning we will travel north and look for some game. Jacob, you're up for it?"

"Sure," he smiled, "It would be rather entertaining to watch Nessie take on a lion or rhino."

I stuck my tongue out in response to his tease.

"Stick your tongue back in your mouth, Missy," said Emmet in mock sternness, "we don't know _where_ that's been…" He added, wiggling his eyebrows.

Everyone, including Jake, burst out laughing as my cheeks turned red. It looked like Emmet was going to be making comments about my and Jake's make-out sessions for a while now…

"So, how about that steak?" I asked Esme, another futile attempt to change the topic.

It was an early rise for me, but with the burning sensation in my throat, I was up and alert. It was still dark, as the sun hadn't yet risen, when Emmet, Dad, Mum, Rosalie, Jake and I left the hotel by foot (it was faster than going by car).We travelled north of Durban to Mpumalanga as this place was home to a lot of game.

Before long we were in what looked like a game park; except there were no boundaries and game rangers.

I looked at Mum and Dad, wondering it was safe to start hunting. Reading my thoughts, Dad nodded and said, "When one of us has caught something, go meet that person – we can't kill more than two big animals as it would start looking suspicious. You'll be able to get the scent when we've made a kill."

I nodded, and shot off in the opposite direction, my vampire instincts taking over. The sound of paws moving lightly on the ground distracted me a bit. Jake yelped to let me know it was him – ready to watch me battle an African Lion, no doubt.

I stopped suddenly after running through the veld, listening to the call of an unfamiliar scent. It was sweet and strange; alluring, inviting… mouthwatering. It definitely wasn't human as this scent was too earthy to be human. It came from the east.

Listen carefully, I noted the crunching of dry twigs and leaves under the animal's feet. I tore off towards the sound, trying to picture a lion or a rhino being the source of it.

But after travelling a few hundred meters, I was disappointed to find an elephant near a waterhole, cooling off. Dad and Carlisle warned me not to attack those as the skin was very thick and taking down one would require at least two of us to kill it if we wanted a clean job. Jake's warm fur by my legs and soft bark reminded to move away and not give in to my bloodlust.

Backing off in another direction, my senses searched for another animal. Luckily for me, I picked up another scent not too far off from where I was and followed it, like a slave behind their master. The blood drew me in, sweeter than the elephant's, tempting…

And then I saw why.

Two male lions were in a small clearing. They kept a certain distance away from each other as they treaded a perfect circle, tails twitching, and bared their teeth; ready to attack.

The rustle of leaves from the side made me realize that the two males were not alone. A few lionesses and their cubs were watching the fight anxiously. They must have felt my presence as they back away from the place from which I entered.

My eyes fixed back on the two males, waiting for the opportune moment to attack. They were obviously fighting for territory and the pride. The young male was pursuing the older male, original head of the pride. They suddenly stopped treading their perfect circle, leant back… and then pounced.

The younger lion had strength on his side, but the older one was much more experienced and was easily able to decipher what the young one was going to do before he did it. It reminded me of the story Jasper and Alice had told me about the newborns which came to Forks a few months before I was born. Newborns had a lot of strength, but if you had experience and were smart enough, you could easily win the battle – like my family had.

But as this battle progressed, the strength proved more powerful than the experience. Though they were both bloody and tired, the young one had the upper hand, slashing his opponent to the floor. Before he could make the final, fatal blow; I reacted.

Out of my so-called hiding place, I sprung out and landed gently on the attacker, my sharp teeth sinking into his neck. He stilled with shock, not even attempting to throw me off him. Then I began to draw blood from lion, one sweet mouthful after the other.

It was just like Emmet described, sweeter than Mountain Lion, better than any other blood I'd ever tasted. I **savoured** the flavour, letting it trickle slowly down my throat. After a few mouthfuls, I looked up to find the other male looking at me. At first there was a sense of gratefulness in his eyes, almost relief. But when he looked into my eyes and saw the bloodlust, crazy look, he backed off to where his pride waited; wanting to get away from me as quickly as possible.

I returned to my lion, licking the blood which had escaped the punctured holes in his neck. Definitely one of the best feeds I'd had in a while…

Soft footsteps told me I wasn't alone. Mum, Dad, Emmet and Rosalie had joined Jake and me in the clearing.

"Aw, I missed the fight, didn't I?" asked Emmet disappointedly.

"No," Dad laughed, "According to Jacob, Renesmee cheated a bit. Two males were fighting here and she attacked while the other was distracted."

"Ah, she made a nice clean job of it, didn't she?" doted Rosalie.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you all going to just stand there and talk, or are you going to help me finish off this breakfast?"

They all laughed and came to the lion and fed whatever remained of their bloodlust but left enough for my to satisfy mine – after all they had already been hunting without me.

"Good choice, Ness," Dad murmured, "Young blood is always better."

I laughed at that comment and stood up, letting the rest of them feed. The rustle of the wind and leaves gave me a sense that someone was watching me. I spun around and observed my surroundings.

But the only one I found was Jake sitting under a tree in his wolf form, waiting patiently with his eyes fixed on me. I smiled and walked towards him. I realized I still had some blood some blood dribbling down my chin, so I wiped it away with my sleeve.

Jake barked a laugh and shook his head. I sat down next to him, running my fingers through his fur. He responded by licking my face clean, chin to forehead.

Ugh, would he _ever_ learn?

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**A/N: **Okay, so the world cup has sadly come to an end and school has started for us in South Africa. I have QUITE a bit to say about Eclipse, but I'll save that for my review (which I still need to blog). Anyway, I've been feeling bad about not posting up chapters (because the story has been completed for almost a year now) and seeing that this is SUCH a short chapter... I'm posting another one up! :) Right now!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I think I've established that I'm not Stephenie Meyer by now...

**A/N: **Okay... long chapter! I think... but one of my favourites, nonetheless :) Enjoy!

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**13. An Eavesdropper's Regret**

After that hunting trip, we spent the next few days staying at home during the day and going out at night as the weather was not on our side. Being bright and sunny during the day, Jake and I sat in front of the television when we weren't eating pizza we'd ordered over the phone, attempting to learn one of the eleven official languages of South Africa.

Eventually Jake gave up, not being able to find his way around the tongue clicks, and he switched to the movie channel. Much to his dismay, there was a romantic chick-flick playing. I took this advantage of this opportune moment and scooted closer to him, till my head lay against his shoulder, my face inches away from his.

The rest of the family, except for Esme (who was reading in the room) and Carlisle (who was out doing more medical research), were out hunting and left the two of us in the lounge alone. How convenient.

Almost as if he'd read my mind, his arms found their way around my shoulder and he tilted his head to the side so that our lips were barely brushing. I took advantage of the small space between us and leaned in, catching his lips with mine and my arms wrapped around his neck.

He faced me fully now and his tongue traced lightly around my lips, begging for entranced. I teased him a by breaking away from the kiss, but he took this as an opportunity to explore the length of my neck, his lips a trail of butterfly kisses.

Traveling back north, his lips came down on mine, harder this time with the pressure and passion that built. This time when his tongue ran across my bottom lip, I granted him entrance, parting my lips slightly.

My hands decided to take advantage of his half-nakedness and explored his broad shoulders, over his chest and down to his stomach muscles where it stopped, crushed between us.

The slam of the front door broke us apart, and we turned our attention to the television. My heart was racing and both our faces were flushed, evidence of our actions. Hopefully dad would be too occupied to listen to my or Jake's thoughts…

Alice came in the lounge, grabbed the remote off the couch and switched from the movie to the news. The rest of the family followed behind them, anxiety written all over their faces.

"Two bodies were found in the sugarcane fields in Kwa-Zulu Natal an hour ago," said the news reporter. "Both we females aged seventeen and nineteen. They were found with a hole in each of their necks, all the blood seems to have been drained out. Police suspect this was done to make muthi."

"What's muthi?" I asked.

"We'll tell you just now," answered Jasper, his eyes fixed on the television.

"This isn't first time we've seen something like this," said the police officer of SAPS. "Recently there has been an increase in muthi crimes. We urge everyone to be."

"No arrests have yet been made," the news reporter concluded. "In other news…"

Alice switched the television off, and went to sit down on the couch, her face scrunched up in concentration. More future searching, no doubt.

"There's more of him?" asked Mum horrified.

"Looks like it. Maybe even a whole coven," answered Rosalie.

"More of whom?" Jake asked confused, "And what's muthi?"

"More of the vampire we met the other night," answered Dad, "and muthi is a "medicine" made by herbalists or "sangoma's" here in South Africa."

"Um… what's a Songoma?" I asked, even more confused.

"A Sangoma," Emmet corrected, "It's a term given to traditional healers."

"If Carlisle is right," Esme said, "then the Volturi will definitely step in sooner or later. Even though the police think it's a being caused because of muthi, these vampires aren't doing a good job of covering up. The truth may come out and the Volturi don't want that…"

"WHAT?" I raised my voice, "What is going on?"

Dad sighed, "Ness, those two girls who were killed, they were HIV positive. Carlisle phoned us just after they were discovered. He was asked to take a look at the bodies."

Then everything clicked, there must've been another vampire, just like the one that attacked the girl at the beach, who attacked HIV positive people. That wasn't good…

"Which leaves us with one option," said Jake through gritted.

"My thoughts exactly," said Dad, "We need to get out of here soon."

"But Carlisle's research?" Rosalie asked.

"I'm sure he'll agree that we need to get out of here soon," Jasper replied, his arm around Alice. "Can you see anything?"

"Well, the weather for the next few days looks good," she replied as she opened her eyes. "But I can't see anymore killings; everything is so blurry."

There was a silence and the tension was unbearable.

"So, we're going to have to fit a month's worth of fun into one week," I smiled.

"Yeah, I agree Ness," Emmet nodded, glad for the change in subject.

"Whatever happens, we must go to the beach again," Rosalie added.

"Yeah," Jake agreed, though his thoughts were clearly somewhere else.

Another awkward silence.

"So, what were the two of you doing before we got here?" asked Emmet, his eyebrows raised suggestively.

"Oh, just watching television," I replied coolly, "learning a new language."

"Are you sure this dress is fine?" I asked Jake, holding it up.

"Hmm."

He considered the black number as I held it against me.

"It looks good," he said, "But…"

"But what?"

"But I think you'd look better without it on," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. He smirked as his comment made me blush.

"Hey," I laughed, punching him playfully in his shoulder, "Don't let Dad catch you saying something like that. But seriously, this dress won't make Nahuel ogle?"

The humans ogled enough, no way was another hybrid going to do the same.

"No," he said, "I don't think he will. Not with me watching."

"Ooh, a little jealous are we, Mr Black?" I teased, as a walked out the door to my room to get changed.

It was our second to last night in South Africa and as a treat, Carlisle was taking us all to The Royal; a restaurant on the beach front. It was actually just for Jake and I – the rest of the family couldn't really eat the food anyway. Carlisle hadn't been too happy about the idea of going home early and not finishing his research, but our safety was more important.

After Rosalie did my hair and make-up (I wasn't so good with that sort of thing), we all went to the car and Dad drove us to the place. It wasn't too far from the hotel, but walking there would've been a pain, especially in heels.

When we got to The Royal, Nahuel was already there waiting for us. I smiled in greeting when I saw him, to be polite. But when his gaze swept over me, I looked away, blushing. Jake's arm around my waist tensed and I wished he'd do something to make it obvious that he didn't like me being ogled at; that I already had Jake.

Almost as if he'd read my thoughts, he leaned towards me and kissed me lightly on the lips. If there wasn't an audience, I would have taken advantage of the situation… but of course we had to behave graciously in public and I'm pretty sure PDA wasn't a sign of graciousness.

I smiled at him when he pulled away, a trace of fire on my lips.

"Good evening Nahuel," greeted Carlisle, "It was nice of you to join us."

"Evening, Carlisle," Nahuel replied evenly, "It's my pleasure. But I'm am disappointed that you are leaving so soon"

He gaze shifted from Jacob, to me and back to Carlisle.

"Yes, we are also disappointed to have to cut our visit to South Africa," said Dad, "But we need to get back as there are many things to be done before Renesmee starts at high school."

"Ah I see… maybe I'll come and visit you when I come to America," Nahuel replied, "I plan on settling here in this country. It's a lovely place, don't you agree?"

"But what about Huilen?" I asked concerned, "Won't you miss her? And your sisters?"

Huilen was Nahuel's aunt, so to say. She and his sisters were the only family he really had. I know I'd never be able to live without my family; so I don't how he'd live without his.

"Yeah, I will miss them," he sighed, "But I do like it here. And I can visit them at anytime and they can come here. Who knows? Maybe they'll come here for a visit and find that they like the place and will also want to settle."

"True," said Jasper, "Maybe we should go sit down and you three can decide what you want to eat."

After getting a table (along with a lot of stares from the humans), Jake Nahuel and I were the only ones who ordered proper meals. The rest of my family ordered coffee or drinks to fit in with the human disguise.

"So, you like the game here?" Nahuel asked, "Better than the animals you're used to?"

"Way better," Emmet grinned. "Definitely going to make one more hunting trip tomorrow before we leave tomorrow."

Everyone laughed and it sounded like the chime of bells; that response was so typical of Emmet.

"But he is right," Esme added, "The taste of the blood is sweeter, more distinct."

"Yes," Aunt Rose said, "We'll definitely miss the blood here."

"Totally," Jake sighed dramatically.

Another round of laughter at our table. The waitress who was serving us came with our order and our food on the table. Encouraged by the growls from my stomach, I immediately tucked into my Portobello Tramazzini.

"Honestly, I don't understand how you Cullens survive on animal blood," Nahuel complemented, "I don't know how I'd be able to cope with human blood."

"It's like a human living on tofu," said Dad, "But it gets easier with time and experience. Once you start and commit yourself, you find it rewarding that another human life could be saved."

The rest of our dinner continued with laughter and stories about everyone's past. Emmet continually brought up how they busted Jake and me kissing on the beach and Nahuel kept giving me strange looks. Our conversation was broken when Nahuel's phone rang.

"Excuse me," he said and then answered his phone, "Hello… yes. No I'm busy having dinner." His voice dropped lower and gritted his teeth. "Fine, I'll meet you just now."

He cut the call and looked at us apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I urgently have to meet someone now. It was great to see you all. I hope we will meet soon."

Nahuel smiled at us and put some money on the table, "This is for my meal. Goodbye Cullens. Bye Renesmee."

As he left the table to get to the door, passed me and let his fingers linger on my shoulder. I shivered as if a cold breeze had hit me.

I personally found his departure rather fishy. What could have been so urgent that he had to leave? Did he have friends here in South Africa? And if he did, he must've been here longer than we'd thought, long enough to make friends. And why hadn't he introduced us to his friends or at least tell us about them?

A while later, after we'd ordered dessert, I excused myself from the table to go to the bathroom. Not that I really needed it, but it was an excuse to make sure I still looked alright and to check if perhaps I needed to…powder my nose. On the way, I saw a few human boys give me some suggestive looks which I wasn't scared to return with a death stare. I smiled in satisfaction when their eyes widened with surprise and they looked away, flushing.

When I'd come out the bathroom, which was near the exit of the restaurant, I was distracted by the sound of a familiar voice.

"What?" said the voice, "That stupid excuse for a vampire almost ruined it like the other one had; what else did you expect me to do?"

"There is no need to get angry, Nahuel," a deeper, soothing voice replied.

"Well, I didn't see you doing anything about it," the first voice retorted, angrily. "I don't what you think, but personally one could expose us. You promised me by introducing me to this way of life there'd be none of this nonsense. You do realize the Volturi could get involved…"

With my curiosity getting the better of me, I inched closer to the exit of the restaurant to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Yes, I do know the consequences of that happening," the deeper voice said, "That's why I need you to help me…"

"Now what?"

"We need to get rid of him. By tearing off his arm, you've probably angered him and once it has joined back to his body, he'll come after you. And with the HIV blood in his system, he could easily take you down. And you don't want that do you?"

There was a silence and I edged closer. My suspicions were confirmed; Nahuel and vampire, also rich-skinned and so beautiful he could be a Runway model, were outside having an argument.

"No…"

"So, come with me now and let's get rid of him. By the way, I have figured out another way to get our supply and not get caught. A clean way of getting HIV blood."

"Elaborate?"

"Down at Addington Hospital, there are a lot of patients being treated for the virus. If we could sneak at night whilst everyone is sleeping, we could easily nick one human every time we get thirsty. That way we can get our fix and don't have to worry about getting caught."

"And what about the patients which will go missing?" asked Nahuel. "Surely they'll notice something fishy. Yet another risky idea of yours."

"Yes, but we could also hunt normally," the other replied, "One time from the hospital, and the next time we do a normal hunt. Easy."

It took a while for everything to process in my mind, but I wasn't dreaming. Every word that came out their mouth was real. Nahuel and this other vampire were behind the attacks on the HIV infected humans. The frail humans who were dying because of this illness. Did they not feel remorse? Were so… so heartless?

I inched more forward trying to see what else I could else I could hear. I was practically standing outside now.

"Stop," said the vampire with the deep voice as Nahuel was about to take off. He looked around, his eyes wild and blood red. Then he saw me.

"Grab her!" he hissed to Nahuel as he tried to make a swipe for me. I ducked and ran back into the restaurant. But before I got to the tables, a pair of arms grabbed me from behind, pulling me towards to exit.

I tried to scream, but another pair of hands covered my mouth. I sank my sharp teeth into the fingers that were trying to gag me and tried to yell to get someone's attention.

"Jacob," was the word that left my lips.

All I remember was seeing white figures in the distant before I was knocked unconscious.

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**A/N: **Ah, how I LOVE cliffhangers... only when I'm writing the story ;) Firstly, I want to thank my friend Yanx for my AWESOME birthday present :) I'll post pictures up soon! Anyway, I've decided enough is enough; I'm starting a new fanfic story. I miss writing it! It's probably gonna be a Harry Potter one. The Lily and James one I've been dying to do!

Cookies to those who review!

KTHANXBAI


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